I don't expect it will make much of a difference. It will make it easier for some of the ones who managed to stick with it until that point to stay in academia - the article also mentions the high rate of dropouts early on. What you want to get to the talent is to reduce those dropouts.

One part of that should be free education - and in case of university education, free housing and a small unconditional stipend to make sure money is not an issue.