Final answer:
Stress is a central issue that can limit academic success as it leads to sleep deprivation, mental health issues like depression, and affects cognitive functions, which are crucial for learning and academic performance.
Step-by-step explanation:
When considering which factor limits academic success the most, we have to take into account that each student's situation is unique and different factors might have varying impacts. However, if we evaluate the provided options, stress appears to be a significant and pervasive issue that can affect many aspects of a student's academic experience.
Stress can lead to sleep deprivation, which in turn affects the student's ability to focus, and cognitive functions such as memory and reasoning. Persistent stress can also precipitate mental health issues like depression, which further deteriorates the quality of education a student receives. This is due to depression's impact on neuron development, potentially causing shrinkage in the brain and impairing decision-making and learning. Furthermore, stress is often intertwined with money worries and can impact relationships, suggesting that it could be the central factor influencing the other areas.