Apply to tuition-free institutions. Though several European countries have offered free college educations to their citizens, the United States has no such tradition. However, several American universities (including Princeton and the University of Virginia), as of 2011, offer financial aid packages to prospective students that include no student loans.
Pay as you go. While studying, refuse student loans and pay for courses as you proceed through college. This option can lengthen the time of your studies, because it may require you to work part time and study part time, but it is a way to avoid loans while attending college.
Seek scholarships and fellowships rather than loans. Though scholarship opportunities wane during hard economic times, some are available for students with excellent academic records, for students in areas of study where the government has identified a need for more professionals, and for students who belong to ethnic and cultural minorities. Many opportunities are listed online (see Resources) through websites that maintain databases of scholarships and fellowships.
Study, volunteer or work in a field where debt forgiveness or tuition programs exist after college. As of 2011, participants in programs such as the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps and VISTA, or graduates who practice medicine or law in disadvantaged areas, can receive loan forgiveness or payments toward student loan debts. In some cases, including those in the military, tuition payments are given when service is completed.
File for bankruptcy and ask the court to dismiss your student loans. Petitions to dismiss student loans in bankruptcy are very rarely granted, but if you can prove hardship and lack of income over a long time, your claim may be successful. This is an option of last resort.