The flip side of course is that until recently (and it will return) over 250 Wannabes pick up a sponsorship to become a pilot. Pilots start on the smallest turboprop at £20k+. With 200hrs in the UK you can get to the right hand seat of a modern jet airliner.
In the US you may pay less for your initial training but you will then earn a lot less in the first -say- 5 years.
The two systems are different. Both have their merits and drawbacks. Both appear to work.
Remember - if the training only cost £25k a lot more people could afford it. More people would apply for the same job. The company could offer less for that job and still get a competent applicant. Wages would fall. Training costs are a high barrier to entry that helps sustain reasonably high salaries.
I know only too well your angst in the early days with no money and huge bills. I also know that once you are past that phase you won't want cheaper flight training...
That said there should be some changes to bring the groundschool side of training into the same bracket as publicly subsidised vocational study courses such as HND/HNC's... but I've been saying that for years.
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