so the the student's suffer as a result of the universities' ego?
Actually what they intend is quite the opposite - to give students a better chance at competing on a global scale where most businesses now have huge international functions and where domestically degrees are starting have less significance than ever because everyone has one.
Every country with uni's who are able to already do so charge their students an incredible amount, and like the privatisation of pretty much everything (with the exception of private schools because unlike everything else they have a national curriculum they are standardised to and forced to submit to) higher quality products simply cost more. Believe it or not, the value of your degree is a significant increase in the quality of what are receiving.
What we see occurring in the public at the moment is people who were previously spoilt having that taken away from them and reacting to it.