Federal Pell Grant
These are grants available to student who is low income and the amount depends on the school, exspected contribution, and school status rather full or partime. It typically arranges around $2,000 and above per semester for students who attend fulltime. Grants do not have to be paid back.
Federal Direct Loans
These loans have to be paid back but not until you finish school and you then have a 6 month deferment after graduation. Also if you enter certain careers in the public sector then your loan can be dismissed based on this and does not have to be paid back after so many payments. There are also programs for individuals with low income and who have various other problems to help in repaying your loan.
The amount of these loans range from $3,500 to $7,500 for undergraduate students with a maximum of $31,000 to be borrowed. Graduate and Professional students can borrow up to $8,500 to $20,500 with a maximum of $138,500.
You apply for these loans the same way you do the other federal student aid,which is by completing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)on their website. This is a simple and easy process. You can get these loans in addition to the Federal Pell Grant. You can allow the Pell Grant to pay for your tuition while using the Federal Direct Loans to live on to pay bills and buy things you need while attending college. These loans do not require the borrower have good credit and any student who meets the requirements can receive these loans.
Scholarships
There are tons of scholarships available. These can be added to having Federal Direct Loans and Federal Pell Grant. You can ask your school about the scholarships that are available and you can also research online. Many businesses and other organizations give away scholarships every year and there are many scholarships that are available to individuals for various aspects such as academic ability, physical abilities, leadership skills, writing, and much more. There are even scholarships available to individuals who are minorities. You can put all these resources together to survive school for the four to eight years or more that you plan to attend without having to kill yourself working several jobs to pay for it till you get your degree.