People often forget that there are not only scholarships & loans but grants as well that are available to help defray college costs. The most commonly used grant in education is called the PELL grant & is fairly easy to come by if you follow a few certain rules & criteria.
The first criteria is fairly simple, but without it you don't qualify for any PELL grant, as the government won't acknowledge you're in college unless you fill it out. The item you will have to fill out is called the FAFSA. If you're an adult fill out this form on your own with your previous year's tax return available & you'll have no issues being done fairly quickly. For those about to graduate high school you will need your information (including tax return if you've ever worked) & your parents' tax returns as well. Unfortunately if your parents have remarried & you live with one you will be forced to use your actual parent & the step-parent instead of your two real parents. Submitting their info helps determine how much in PELL grants you will receive.

Also coming into play is how much the college you will attend costs to attend. Don't assume because your parents are wealthy that you won't receive any money. The PELL grants are rather limited, as it is free government money, but it is still worth a shot to see if you qualify. Currently you may only receive $5,500 per academic year (fall & spring semesters) but this number tends to go up every three to five years by a few hundred dollars. While $5,500 a year may not seem like much, consider the fact it is free money you'll never have to pay back.

The Federal PELL Grant Requirements are pretty easy to reach. You must be a US citizen or eligible for citizenship. You had to have graduated high school or have GED or equivalent. You have to register with Selective Service, which allows you to vote, to qualify as well. In most cases Selective Service sends you a form to register shortly after your 18th birthday. Last but not least you must agree to only use the grant money towards college costs.

Please bear in mind if you've been convicted of a crime the likelihood of receiving a PELL grant is seem. In the same regard if you committed a crime involving drugs while receiving government aid for college they will, in most cases, ban you from ever receiving these grants again.