Students cannot afford degree completion due to escalating tuition and living costs

College students face mounting financial barriers that prevent degree completion, with tuition, fees, and living expenses creating impossible choices between education and survival. Traditional financial aid and student loans are insufficient to cover total costs of attendance, forcing students to drop out, delay enrollment, or work excessive hours that harm academic performance. Current solutions like federal loans and grants don't adequately address the gap between aid offered and actual costs students must pay.