system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: Why tons of students I know that are fairly wealthy and well off are receiving high amounts from FASFA for college while I, from a middle-class family that is barely getting by and is heavily relying on FAFSA, only received a small sum that barely assists us at all?

My father works as a pastor in a church and only makes half the salary he should be. He also owns a small business but we make almost 0 profit from it because business is so bad. My mom works 2 part time jobs with minimum wage from each. We are also putting my older brother, 22 years old, through school. We are just barely cutting it to get by. Bills and taxes are often paid late, unless my mother dips into my bank account to "borrow" cash to make a payment. How do wealthy families with more ability to pay for college attain high sums from FAFSA while we are sitting here struggling for enough to get through the week?  
  
Edit: I'd also like to add that I do understand the fact that we are white and that owning a business has something to do with it.  
Edit: Thank you for your detailed responses and explanations. It is pretty easy to understand now that I realize I was technically incorrect in my statement that wealthier kids receive more than I do. Apologies for that. My personal conditions separate me from others and result in a lower aid package because I appear to have a lot of benefits, when they actually are not.
gpt
Similar to that, it also seems like savers are punished. Take two hypothetical families, both with 3 kids, the same mortgage and both earning say $75,000: the Savers and the Spenders. 

The Savers take no vacations, drive old cars, and manage to scrimp and save $5,000 to put towards their children's education each year. 

The Spenders, on the other hand, take multiple vacations, lease new cars, and put nothing towards their kids' educations. 

Flash forward 15 years, the Savers have roughly $75,000, the Spenders, $0.
Guess who will get more financial aid? According to FAFSA employees I've spoken with, the Spenders. Because on paper, they have less to contribute.

How is that fair?