DH:
I apologize for being condescending, But I noticed in another thread that you are from EY. Totally different mindset, you are not expected to understand why someone would not want to take money from the government.
BTW: I agree with MF. There is no reason why you can’t plan your life around government benefits (Chillul Hashem aside, but that is too “technical” of a topic regarding what would constitute a Chillul Hashem).
Tuition is a different issue and more problematic.