There was one recent article about a student who couldn’t get loans - but that was because he and his family are undocumented immigrants and therefore not eligible for federal loans.
As said above, most families (combination student and parent) can borrow from the federal loan program up to the cost of attendance. Many, however, choose not to go into 6-figure debt and potentially jeopardize their ability to retire because of the debt they’ve incurred. Some students think nothing of demanding their parents take out $200,000+ in loans to fund their “dream school”. They even wonder why parents won’t drain their 401K to fund college. That’s why “dream school” can be a hot-button phrase.