These criteria are really shitty for some people. My middle class parents spoiled me and paid for the entirety of my college tuition and expenses, but I had friends from families with similar income whose parents completely refused to pay for any college expenses, and they had to survive on whatever scholarships and student loans they could get, but couldn't get any FAFSA aid. I'm not sure what the alternative is, and I'm sure they were more privileged than many/most of the people who do qualify for FAFSA aid, but it still felt really unfair to me.

I guess they should've gotten sham marriages to qualify as independent? (Why is marriage a qualifying criterion for independence? Seems really antiquated to me...)