You're talking about a family with a father who is a high paid lawyer and a wife who is a senior executive of Goldman Sachs. We're not exactly talking about a pair of middle class people just overwhelmed by the world around them.
You’re also talking about gambling away a year’s salary which still has to be paid back on top of any other loans and living expenses you’ve got, if you lose the race. If the Cruz family brought in so much money every year - money you think made them independently wealthy, apparently - then how much do you think they have in savings? How much disposable income do you suppose they have? A person who makes a million dollars a year in CA might barely be able to pay for their house, let alone a car and raising 2 kids. Especially if they are paying back educational loans or have other obligations. You don’t know their personal finances, nor do I think it is your business.
When was the last time you sacrificed a year’s wages on the chance that you might be able to help save the country?