Are you having problems with finding the funds you need to pay for school? Unfortunately, the economy has left many people in a bind when it comes to financing their education or helping their children pay for school. Thanks to the turbulent economy, people have suddenly found themselves out of work or low on the funds necessary to pay for school. In addition, the difficult economic times have depleted many of the funds that were once available through scholarship programs and other resources. Luckily, there are a few options out there that you can explore to help you with getting the funds you need.

Appeal the Process

Hopefully, you have already filed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, of FAFSA, as this form should be filled out every year regardless of your financial situation. If you did fill out the FAFSA and you did not receive enough aid to cover your costs, you can appeal to the financial aid office of the college where you plan to attend.

You will have a greater amount of success with your appeal if you are able to prove that you need the assistance. There are three primary ways to prove your need. These include:

· Demonstrating that your cost of attending the college is higher than what the college had calculated, such as demonstrating your child care expenses, unusual transportation requirements or anything else that might increase your out-of-pocket expense.
· Proving a loss of income because you lost your job or because your parent lost his or her job. If you or your parents experienced a pay cut, this might be enough to help you with your appeal as well.
· Showing that you are going through special circumstances that affect your financial situation, such as going through a divorce or experiencing a medical emergency.

Explore Scholarship Opportunities

Although some scholarships have dried up or are no longer offering as many funds, there are still plenty of scholarship opportunities out there. Don’t forget to apply for private scholarships through local organizations and charities. Talk to the people you know, including friends, relatives, coworkers and church members, and find out if any of them know of any scholarship opportunities that may be available.

Borrow Money

If you are not successful with your appeal process and you simply cannot find any more scholarships to apply to, it just might be time for you to consider borrowing some money to help you pay for school. Remember, dropping out of college is usually more expensive than the cost of borrowing to go to college, so consider it to be an investment into your future.

Your first step should be to obtain a Stafford student loan to help pay for school. Depending upon your age and the number of years you have been in college, you can borrow anywhere from $5,500 to $12,500. Thanks to the Income Based Repayment Plan, you won’t have to worry about your payments being more than 15% of your income after you graduate.

Cut Expenses

If you really don’t want to borrow money or if you want to keep the borrowing to a minimum, you should also look for places where you can cut back on your expenses so you have the funding necessary for school. Depending upon your situation, you may actually be able to save some money by selling your car and using the money needed to maintain your car, to park it, to pay for gas and to pay for insurance to help you pay for your college expenses. If you are living on campus, you might also be able to cut back on expenses by living in a triple room or by serving as a resident assistant. If possible, living at home is the cheapest option of all. You might also be able to cut expenses by taking some classes at a community college or taking them through online schools.