It also seems unfair when one's parents lived well within their means and prioritized saving and spending on education, so one's family has to pay all their lif

It also seems unfair when one's parents lived well within their means and prioritized saving and spending on education, so one's family has to pay all their life savings for university, while a friend's family with the same or slightly higher income but no savings is given significant financial aid. (Or maybe they're better at filling in FAFSA? My father is a self-taught accountant who later went pro (incl. classes/tests etc), but may have been too honest.)