Free is a great word, and if you’re looking to go to college for almost “free”, there are plenty of ways to do so, you just need to know how to do it.  As long as you’re educated, and do your homework ahead of time, before applying for college, you can save a boat load of money.

Know your funding: The first thing that you want to do is study your funding options.  There are so many ways that you can get money for school.  From government grants, to financial aid.   Make sure that you know of every way possible to get assisted funding.  Even if you think you don’t qualify, apply, because the worst thing that they can say is “no”.

Scholarships are your friend: I don’t care who you are, I know there’s a scholarship out there for everyone.  If you’re not treating this like a job, when looking for a scholarship, you’re not going to be able to find one.  Use great websites like FastWeb to find the scholarship that you can qualify for.

Be a pro with essays: When you apply for a scholarship, you’re going to have to know how to write an essay (most of the time).  If you can become a pro, when it comes down to writing essays, you’ll find that your chances of getting a scholarship will greatly improve.

Learn about tax credits: Read into your tax credit with your particular state to see how you can get a credit back when you apply for college.  Every state is different, but it will all be the same on a Federal level.

Private sponsors: Many students don’t know this, but there are many companies, and clubs that are more than willing to help you with your school, in which they call them self a “sponsor”.    Ask around, and see what people think.   In return, you can volunteer, help advertise, or do any other type of work.

These are the steps that you can take today in order to go to college for almost free.  If this isn’t enough, I highly recommend the book “How to Go to College Almost for Free“, by Ben Kaplan.  It’s very reasonably priced, and is a great read.