I had both kids in college for the same 4 years. They had a much lower budget, each, because of that.
I understand why people think that was my problem, and I agree with them. I don’t think it is fair that one student/family has one price and another student/family has a different price. My kids certainly applied for all the scholarships and grants they could get, need based and merit based, but I wouldn’t have faulted the schools or the system from saying “Nope, this is the price, pay it or go elsewhere.”
In fact, one year we applied for professional judgment as my job ended. One school gave D2 a full Pell grant, another school gave D1 a much smaller Pell grant. Same family, same income, two different outcomes.