A worrying narrative that has emerged from the on-going student protests is that you are either in favour of free higher education for all; or against it. In fact there are a wide range of options in between available, and these options should be weighed against the country’s other priorities. We look at some of the most important government policy objectives within post-school education, and highlight the tremendous financial costs associated with meeting these goals. Against this background, it is clear that what is required is a transparent discussion of the way forward within post-school education. While fee free education for all is a noble goal when viewed in isolation, implementing it is likely to severely constrain the country’s ability to achieve many other important objectives. Attempting to achieve free higher education for all before it has been achieved for the poor and the lower middle class, and before some of the severe financial and other challenges in vocational training system have been addressed; risks undermining the country’s educational and economic progress and even denying education and training opportunities to those who might need them the most.