In a community roundtable on Wednesday, local parents and students opened up about the real-life challenges of getting to and through college as potential proposed federal education cuts loom over their futures.

The discussion, hosted by the Parent Institute for Quality Education (PIQE), the Student Borrower Protection Center (SBPC), and the UC Student Association, focused on the financial, emotional, and systemic barriers that make higher education difficult to reach for many Central Valley families.

“It is our goal to empower families to support their children to and through higher education,” said Ileana Lopez, Vice President of External Relations at PIQE. 

She said that financial aid is consistently the top concern raised by families they serve. 

“In this time of uncertainty, we are very concerned about the policy changes happening at the federal level. These changes will make access to financial aid and higher education much more challenging,” Lopez said. 

Aissa Canchola Bañez, Policy Director at the Student Borrower Protection Center, drove in from Chino Hills to join the conversation. She explained what the proposed budget cuts could mean for students and borrowers.

“Congressional Republicans are considering a fast-tracked tax package that includes $4.5 trillion in tax cuts for billionaires and corporations while proposing over $330 billion in cuts to education programs. That includes potential reductions to Pell Grants and the elimination of affordable repayment plans.”

Bañez shared that more than 77,000 people in California’s 22nd Congressional District have student loans. If the new policies are approved, many of them could end up paying $200 more each month or $1,400 more each year while getting less help with college costs.

One local mother, Virginia Ramírez, shared how hard it was for her daughter to pursue a college education. As a parent working to support her family, she said she often felt stuck in “survival mode.” 

She didn’t know much about the help available for college until she learned about FAFSA (the Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and started encouraging her daughter to apply for scholarships instead of relying on loans. 

She’s now urging schools to provide more information sessions and workshops for families to understand their financial aid options.

Carlos Rodriguez, a UCLA student from Porterville, is the youngest of five siblings and the first in his family to graduate high school. Rodriguez described growing up surrounded by hardship, including having seen his mother arrested and having family members incarcerated. 

Despite all odds, he earned a full-ride scholarship and transferred from Porterville College to UCLA, where he now studies economics and sociology.

“I had to balance two jobs and play two sports just to stand out,” he said. “College was the only thing I was good at it was my way out.”

Rodriguez has since become a voice for education equity, serving in student government, interning in Washington, D.C., and working on research projects and policy campaigns to improve college access. 

He also spoke about how difficult it can be to navigate the financial aid system, especially when family situations complicate required paperwork.

“The system shouldn’t be fighting for people who already have everything,” he said. “It should be lifting up the people who are starting at the bottom.”

Rodriguez shared that while he’s on a full-ride scholarship thanks to Pell Grants and local aid, he’s also supporting his partner, who has no family support. 

“I’ve had to flip that bill,” he said. Rodriguez said he is frustrated over a system that penalizes students for receiving scholarships by counting them as taxable income or affecting their housing status. “I’m not living lavish. I’m just trying to survive in Westwood.”

Rodriguez also mentioned how working multiple jobs took him away from career-building internships. 

“I worked as a valet while others were getting unpaid research jobs that open doors. I knew every shift was setting me back.” He now works for a college access organization, but said many students don’t get those chances.

Marcilia Diaz, who transferred to CSUB after earning associate degrees at Bakersfield College, has become a leader on campus. She currently serves as Executive Vice President of the student body, president of the Native and Indigenous Student Coalition, and is a two-sport athlete, competing in both cross country and track.

“I always found that when you’re in school, it’s important to take advantage of every opportunity,” she said.

Diaz has been at the forefront of organizing advocacy events on campus and in the community. Among her efforts: the Student Solidarity March, the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) March, and the recent Hands Off March, where she addressed the crowd after leading a demonstration from CSUB to Congressman Vince Fong’s office.

“Once I dipped my toe in, I realized how much I love this work and how meaningful it is,” Marcy explained.

As a first-generation college student, Marcy also shared the challenges she faced navigating the financial aid system on her own without guidance and often unsure if she was making the right decisions. 

“It shouldn’t be this hard,” she said. 

She also spoke about having to support her household after her grandparents retired early due to health issues. She’s worked two to three jobs while attending CSU Bakersfield to support her younger brother and pay for school. 

Recently, she took out a $2,000 loan something she had always been warned against. “People say, ‘you knew what you were doing,’ but sometimes loans are the only option.”

Marcy said the burden of doing everything “right” like applying for aid, scholarships, and still falling short. 

“It almost takes away your childhood,” she said. Despite the struggle, she took the risk to study abroad in Japan and Italy, betting that the experience would pay off in the long run.