I'm guessing you didn't go to college in the past 10 years. Things have changed. Nowadays it is impossible to pay for college with any kind of job you can get in college. And many internships are unpaid. So by not paying for college, they would be signing their kids up for $100k+ of debt to start off their lives.
I think maybe their kids should consider "not going to college" but that's a hard idea to sell, since it does have a measurable impact on the work and income a person can get.
I was in the middle - my parents helped some - probably to the tune of maybe 20% total of my expenses. I worked multiple jobs, got some small scholarships, took out some loans. A mixed bag, but there was no question in my mind that somehow my parents "owed" me that luxury. they had 2 other kids to deal with as well after me.
My parents never paid for my college and I Graduated debt free with an engineering degree.
Maybe having to pay for college will cause them to take internships to pay for college.