Many airlines still have fully sponsored pilot training programs even today, its just that most of them are not well known or its being avilable to only their local citizens. Few years ago I was fully sponsored by my airline, the airline never wanted me to repay the training cost all that was agreed mutually was to work with them 5 years and till today they are sponsoring young boys and girls who done really well at school and moreover the airline gives extra allowance for the students who comes from financially difficult background . What I am trying to prove here is that not everywhere it works the same and most of you should always have a contrasting prespective rather that generalising the negativity.
If your dream is really to fly then work for it, most of you are young and dynamic so take advantage of your age to work for it. Ive met captain and FO who are flying big jet now have once cleaned planes, washed plates in restaurants, doing 2 tto 3 odd jobs a day and gave their high paying jobs to chase their dreams. The world we live in is not easy to survive however where there's a will there is a way.