I don't mean to sound argumentative, so please take my questions as genuine inquiries:

go through heartbreak when the university fails to support me in any way.

I never thought of college funding in this way. Where is it identified that Universities would do anything more than trade education and training for money?

I can get into any college in the US

Are you implying that while able to gain admittance to these institutions, you have been unable to obtain academic or needs based scholarships to attend?

C.) Does the university not care about poorer students?

I imagine there are individuals who care deeply about poorer students - and some that DON'T care about the income level of students, but as a whole, Universities either recruit, or don't recruit low income students (sounds like Amherst does).

Look - higher ed is a MESS. My dad was a professor. His career is something from a bygone era. Professors are beat up, states no longer fund anything, federal funding for research is vaporizing. All of these things combine to make Universities tighten belts across the board. I wish I had an answer - but it's a big complicated mess. I guess I'll say this. If a student is talented and dedicated, he or she will get a degree. From my experience in the business world, WHERE you go to school matters a lot less than you think it might - sure, there are careers where it does matter - but for many, it just doesn't.