This is why colleges consider gross income, not net. The situation of a family earning $200,000 is nothing like that of a family earning $40,000. The lower income family isn’t less likely to have medical or financial issues. They just have fewer resources should they encounter them. The $200,000 family would have to spend $160,000 (four times the entire yearly income of the $40k family) just to get to their gross. In no way is the financial situation of the $200k family similar to the lower income family.
OP, lots of things can affect financial aid packages. If your friends’ parents are divorced, that might affect aid. Some schools offer merit aid, so you may some of those grants too. It’s nice you want to help pay. One way to help is to search for schools that offer merit for your stats. If your parents are comfortable paying but you want to help, you can take the ~$5500/year federal student loan and work summers. That’s a nice contribution.