Parent Plus Loan as a non-custodial parent

The OP said he doesn’t plan to borrow after this year, and the money in the 529 isn’t enough to cover the gap for even one year. In my opinion, the issue is that nobody in this family has the money to pay for this school and there’s no plan in place to cover expenses for all 4 years.

What good does it do to figure out how to maximize financial aid when nobody is willing/able to cover the gap?