Assets are not counted in financial aid formulas. That policy is owned by me and in and of itself would not have affected his ability to get aid or scholarships on his own.

The point of my post isn't that I'm not willing to support my kid in school, but that he's trying to make it on his own.

When you turn 18 you're considered an adult for lots of things, but when it comes to college you're still a child and not officially on your own until you're married or turn 26. In his case that definition didn't fit.