College students are at least 18 years old. Parents need to learn theit 'babies' are adults and must learn to live on their own. If there is a problem with a college, or any other institution, it is up to the student to accept responsibility. If the parents are paying top dollar for their kids to go to school, the parents must remember that it is their kids who are the adult customers and are in a business relationship with the college, not the parents. The parents can and should keep on top of what their kids do, but they need to realize that their kids are legally adults now. They can help their kids out, but the kids need to be helping themselves, too. If they are not happy with one school, they can enroll in another. It's not like public school where the local government tells you where to attend.
When the kids live in a dorm, eat mess hall food, and go to classes, they are NOT living on their own in any sense of the word. They are totally dependent on the parents for food and tuition. When they get REAL lives and work, THEN they will be dependent. Until then, the parents are still responsible for them. Therefore we get input and get to 'provide' consequences as necessary.