WASHINGTON, D.C. – Every year, California college students rack up billions of dollars in federal student loan debt.

This year, the Business Insider ranked three California cities in the top 10 nationwide where people carry the most student loan debt. Now, several California lawmakers, led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, are advocating for a sweeping overhaul of the higher education system called the College Affordability Act to address the $1.5 trillion in student loan debt across the nation.

One student at Howard University, Marian Foster, said she worked hard to get into a university, but said staying in, is proving to be a challenge.

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“So I’m a psychology major and a journalism minor,” said Foster.

It’s Foster’s first year at Howard University, yet she has already completed her Associates Degree through high school, in turn helping cut costs for college. 

“It’s a lot going on right now,” said Foster. “I’m feeling very, very, very stressed.”

She has a school bill to pay for soon, in which the money isn’t there, but she’s not giving up yet.

Now, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is advocating for a massive comprehensive plan that would make it easier for students to pay back loans while lowering the cost of college, with investments in historically black colleges like Howard University. The plan would expand Pell Grants and also calls for a $94-billion program that allows states to offer tuition-free community college. 

Two California lawmakers helped with the bill, Representatives Mark Takano and Susan Davis, who both call for economic security.

“I think it will be a very monumental change,” said Foster. “It’s definitely very much needed. And it’s just very hard for us as college students to figure out where we are going to get the money from… I’m the first person in my family to go to college, so I’m a first-generation student, and I’m the first one to go outside and leave, because my whole family lives in North Carolina.”

For a short period of time, her family came to her so they can figure out the financial situation. Her father, Carl Daniels, said, whatever happens, they will work together as a family.

“What we try to do is prepare for situations like this,” said Daniels. “But sometimes things come up and we have to work hard in the grind.” 

They spent an afternoon at the financial aid office to go over what the family is calling miscommunication and are working out a plan to pay for her tuition.

“She’s making me proud,” Daniels said. "She’s going to be better than me.”

This new plan is aimed at lowering costs for minority and low-income students. House Democrats are also trying to give states the chance to make their community colleges tuition-free through these appropriations.

Experts say changes to the federal education system is something lawmakers from both sides of the aisle can agree on, but the path to get there needs more work.

This College Affordability Act will most likely see many changes before getting to a final vote.