The most popular grant available is the federal Pell Grant. Grants do not have to repaid. This grant is available for undergraduate students who have not achieved a bachelor's degree. The amount you get is determined by your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). There are other grant programs available; contact your financial aid officer for guidelines.
The Stafford Loan is the federal loan available for students. To be eligible for the Stafford Loan, you need to fill out your FAFSA. When you receive the results, they will let you know how much of the Stafford loan you will receive. You will need to sign a promissory note to get the Stafford loan. There are also others loans available, contact your financial aid adviser for more details and the guidelines.
There are hundreds of thousands of scholarships available each year to students. There are some scholarships that your college may offer just to you. There are others that are nationwide that you can apply for. There are different guidelines for each scholarship application. Some scholarships are just for certain majors. Some are offered to students in a local area. Other scholarships are for anyone who wants to apply.
Most colleges also have a work-study program. Each college may have different guidelines or requirements for the program. In a work-study program, you will work and pay out of your work money for your education. They will help find you a job on campus to pay. They do not take your whole work check just a certain amount per paycheck. Your financial adviser will know more on the guidelines of your college's work-study program.
All colleges offer a payment plan for students who do not get enough financial aid. Most of the colleges will allow you to pay monthly payments. You can pay the whole lump sum at one time as well. These are short-term loans, usually only for one year or less. You can set up direct deposit with most colleges to get payments drafted automatically.