[alum]

Just as a sidenote:

I work at a university as an graduate-level academic advisor and see the undergraduate transcipts on a daily basis. Although you are correct that D's and F's do not transfer, many schools still put all the grades on the transcripts from previous schools. So if you do have D's and F's from the University of East Cupcake, got straight A's from Local Community College and now are transferring to State University, it is very likely that a State University transcript will show all classes and grades ever taken anywhere including the non-transferrable ones.

Yes, the colleges/universities do expect parents to pay for their children's higher education. It IS very difficult to be designated independent in terms of the FAFSA unless one is married or has served in the Armed Forces. EFC is notoriously high and parents are usually in sticker-shock when the figure is tabulated.