Complete the fafsa at http://fafsa.ed.gov this will get you started with federally backed loan programs. Talk to the admissions / financial aid office at your school about any grants or scholarships that are available to you.

You can apply for private loans provided to students, but the rates and terms vary and are not as good as federal loans. The upside is you know if you’re qualified within a day and get the money in about 10 business days.

So, if you want to start classes this fall, it’s getting a little bit late in most cases, here are a couple I recommend to everyone Chase Bank, you can apply online anytime through http://www.usadegrees.com/chase/ and Student Loan Advisors at http://www.studentLoanAdvisors.com

You can also try some scholarships, although many of those deadlines have passed, there are still many open until October. Take a look at http://www.ReviewScholarships.com and try a couple of the scholarship search engines listed there. Also try a few of the individual scholarships listed as they often are not income/need based.

The best thing to do is to go ahead and fill out a FAFSA for the school year that you want to attend and have it sent to the school that you are interested in. Then go ahead and apply to the school. They will send you a financial aid letter to let you know how much is paid for by Pell Grants (if you are eligible), Stafford loans, and scholarships. Then you can see what is left over for you to pay. You may be surprised at how much you get. I always got enough loan money to cover my tuition (at a state school) with some left over to buy books and cover other expenses. If you don’t get enough, you may be able to get a private student loan to cover the difference. Good luck and don’t give up! You may be surprised at the options that are available to you.

if you’re native american you get in free. or really old.