On the other hand would the 18-year-old-you have really been bothered by a commitment to a 29% income-tax band starting at £17.5k?

Exactly my point about income tax, see above, though absolutely not under any circumstances am I OK with taxation being directly linked to the fact of having been to university. If I'd had cancer as a child and recovered, should I pay more tax as an adult because of all the NHS resources I've already used?