College tuition prices are skyrocketing, and many people worry about how they will be able to pay for college. Often, financial aid is not explained thoroughly to the student trying to enter college, so there is more worry than there really needs to be. There are far more ways to get money to go to school than people let on. When you're applying to college, try some of these resources in order to make your schooling as cheap as possible!
FAFSA
This is the dictator of almost all student aid. The FAFSA, or Federal Application for Student Aid, basically determines your financial need. Once you have chosen a school, applied, and gotten in, be sure to go to and start an application. It will ask for tax information, etc, and then calculate your level of need. It will then send these findings to your school of choice, and your school will offer you grants and loans based on how much money the FAFSA says you require. Always do this first - it may be that after you are offered all your grants, you won't even need loans and scholarships, or will at least need less than you thought.
College Opportunity Funds
If you have decided to go to college at an in-state school, meaning you are going to school in the state where you are currently considered a resident, then check and see if your state offers a college opportunity fund. These funds are only for those residents who decide to go to school in-state, and are often in the amount of a couple thousand dollars. These funds are renewable, and you can apply them towards your tuition every single year of school.
Intra-College Scholarships
Often, colleges will have scholarship application you can fill out that will match your information and application with every single scholarship your college offers, and then submit that application for you if you meet the criteria. This is an easy way to apply for as many scholarships as possible, without actually having to fill out hundreds of applications. Make sure to ask your school's financial aid office when this is due, and how to access it.
Scholarship Websites
There are plenty of scholarship search sites out there, such as School-scholarships.org, that you can visit and look through. You can input certain criteria, like your major, professional aspirations, gender, military service, place of residence, heritage, etc, and the sites will offer you a bunch of scholarships that you should be able to apply for. Get all the information you need, and then create an application for as many as you can and send them in!
Loans
If you must take out a loan [http://www.singlemomeducationhelp.com/], try and do it through your school first. They often have the lowest interest rate, and will allow you to defer payment until you graduate, which not all banks do. Be sure to check in on what kind of loan it is as well - subsidized and unsubsidized loans are very different things and should be handled with caution. If your school does not offer you any loans when your FAFSA goes through, then go check with banks and credit unions. Be sure to shop around [http://educationhelpsinglemom.blog.com/2011/04/19/where-to-find-free-tutoring/] and make sure you're getting the best deal.