This study describes students' experiences applying for and maintaining financial aid at a community college in Southern California. Through individual interviews and focus groups, we examined the interaction points between students, institutional actors, institutional policies, and state/federal policies. We theorize that interactions between students and their environment contribute to an ecosystem for community college students, of which penalty may be just one component. Data from the study revealed layers of interactions resulting in three consequences: prevention of aid qualification, delay of aid receipt, and loss of aid. Implications for this study indicate the need to relax further policies and procedures associated with the aid-seeking process at the institutional and policy level.