if you can't help pay for college because you have such a large family, you gotta ask yourself what's important? 10 kids? or being able to help ensure 2 or 3 kids success? you can barely do anything without a college education and paying for a good one doesn't come easy if you can't qualify for financial aid or if say you have a 1290 on the SATs and the cut off for merit aid is 1300.

Stephanie, perhaps the parents raised them to be able to succeed without needing their hands held.  They ought to be old enough to understand that success is not "ensured," you have to accomplish it.  

I know those are novel concepts today, but really...

With two children in college I have learned a lot about financial aid.  When children go to college parents are REQUIRED to fill out the FAFSA.  This determines EFC (estimated family contribution) which is what colleges base (in part) their financial aid package for the student.  Colleges do not offer packages to students for the entire amount of college(unless they are validictorian).  My daughters are paying for their last two years all on their own and they are borrowing over $20,000.00 per year.  And for some of the loans a co-signer is required.  So unless that family doesn't care if their kids go to college then they will either borrow some themselves, or they will have to co-sign for advantage loans.  Kids like that should probably look into the local technical high school, so that they learn a trade and won't have to go to college, or if they really want to they can go to a Tech College, they aren't cheaper but you finish quicker and the expense is about half.  Also, a good commnity college is a good idea for that family.  I wish them luck.