Getting money for college seemed unattainable, or so I thought.  I put off college for the same reason a lot of people do.  I could not afford it.  I have to work full-time just to make ends meet, so there is nothing left to support a college education.  I had a cousin that studied abroad.  I was very envious.  I finally swallowed my pride enough to ask her for advice and she was more than obliging.

Federal Pell Grant

Apply for grants.  The Federal Pell Grant Program provides need-based grants to low-income undergraduate and certain post baccalaureate students to encourage admission to postsecondary education.  This is for students that make under $45,000 a year.  The amount of the grant depends on: the student’s expected family contribution (EFC); tuition expenses; enrollment status (Full or Part Time); and if the student attends a full academic year or less.  You can apply for this grant for free at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/.

Scholarships

There are tons of Scholarships for all types of students.  This is another option for getting free money for college.  The first thing you need to do is register to Fastweb.  FastWeb has been the leading scholarship search provider for over fifteen years.  FastWeb matches users to scholarships based on their qualifications.  Their scholarship database contains over 1.3 million scholarships worth over $3 billion.  This gives you better odds at finding the right scholarship for your needs.  Get matched up with your scholarship at http://www.fastweb.com/.

Loans

I put loans last because you should apply for all the free money you can get.  Once you have your grants and scholarships in place, apply for your loans.  There are two types of loans for school that are offered.  A Subsidized Loan is based on financial need.  If you qualify the government will pay the interest on your loan while you attend school and six months after.  They may pay the interest on your loan even if it has deferred payments once you graduate.  You can take out an Unsubsidized Loan even without financial need.  Unlike the Subsidized Loan you are responsible to pay the interest from the time the loan is disbursed.  You can choose to pay it or allow it to accrue and capitalize it to your loan.  Which means you must repay and increased amount.  Educate yourself before applying for a loan at http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/studentloans.jsp.

Get researching and get your money for college, don’t let your dreams pass you by.