Fill out and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. Complete the required information, which involves questions about family assets, student dependency, income debt, and other financial and personal data. The FAFSA can be filed online or printed and mailed (see "Resources"). Alternately, call 1-800-4-FED-AID to have a form mailed to you. On the FAFSA, demonstrate financial need as determined by both educational costs and available assets.
Receive aid based on your Expected Family Contribution, or EFC. This number is determined by the FAFSA and is a guideline for how much you and your family are expected to contribute to your college education. It also guides how much financial aid you are expected to receive.
Apply for work-study benefits in the financial aid office of your school. Work-study programs offer part-time employment for enrolled students and are managed by their academic institutions.
Obtain "college-controlled" aid through your academic institution. Each college maintains its own policy, but many have scholarships for which admitted students can apply.
Seek out financial aid based on student profile that is available only to students who meet specific requirements. For example, there are specific scholarships dedicated to international students, women scholars, racial minorities and Jewish students.
Apply for state government federal aid. Each state has a separate FAFSA form and submission deadline. State aid includes grants, loans, prepaid tuition benefits, and scholarships.
Serve in the military in order to take advantage of the Montgomery GI Bill, which helps finance service members' education. Many enlistees are eligible for educational benefits under the bill, although according to Finaid.org, the benefits only cover, on average, three-fifths of college costs.