My opinion is slightly harsh... but here it is: If you cannot fund the absolute minimum to get yourself to Champs, then you haven't gone to your community enough, and aren't doing the main mission of FIRST, and so you do not deserve to go there anyway.

If a team seriously wants to go, there is nothing stopping them from getting the funding and sponsorship to go. The only limiter is how much they care, and how much they want it.