Gather your financial information. When applying for student loans without a co-signer, tax information is essential. Proof of your income is used to decide what types of loans you qualify for and what amounts. You should also have other important financial documentation such as bank statements, investment records and mortgage information.
Find school codes. Each college or university that you are applying to has a six-digit code that identifies it. Find this on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid website (Fafsa.ed.gov) by entering the name, state and city of the colleges you wish to apply to.
Fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This is the most important document that you will fill out in your search for student loans. It can be filled out either online (Fafsa.ed.gov) or in paper format. The latter can be obtained at any public library or your local post office. The form is easy to fill out; it's just a matter of having all the information in front of you. Make sure to fill out each section, using zeroes and "N/A" wherever necessary instead of leaving parts blank. No co-signer is required for federal student loans.
Look into state-specific student loans. State-specific student loan programs exist in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. This means that even if you don't get as much as you need from federal aid, there are options available for you depending on the state in which you live (not the state where you will be attending college). CollegeScholarships.org provides an excellent index of state-specific student loan programs. Co-signers are generally not needed for state government loans.
Apply for private loans. Private loans can be the hardest loans to obtain without a co-signer. However, many private banks specialize in making student loans to people with less-than-perfect credit or even no credit. It is important to remember the perils of such loans, however. They often have high interest rates and credit limits. Do not approach private student loan companies until all other options have been exhausted.