Based on your FAFSA information, you may be eligible for additional grants. You can contact your school to see which ones you qualify for.

Private Loans
These are loans provided by a private lender. These usually have a higher interest rate and may have a different pay back time than federal loans. Many banks, as well as loan companies, offer these options to students. Talk to a parent or guardian first if your interested in one of these loans.

This is where the school pays you to work for them. The easiest way to apply is to make sure you check that you are willing to work when filling out your FAFSA. Other ways to apply are by checking with your financial aid office to see if they have any jobs or waiting lists available. That way, if someone was awarded work study and declined it, you may be next in line.

Outside Job

Having a regular 9-5 is a great way to pay for college. Asking around at your local businesses and attending career fairs are just a few ways to getting hired. If your school has a career development center, ask around to see if any businesses have contacted them about any positions available to students.

Start a business
Can't find a job? Why not make your own? Students everywhere have used their own skills or out of the box solutions for problems to create their own businesses. The money earned from your business could go towards books, tuition, and other college expenses.

High school isn't the only time to start looking for scholarships. Always check your school first to see if you qualify for any scholarships based on your grades, major, or year in school. Outside scholarships are always an option and it only takes a quick Google search to find them. There are also many websites geared to connecting you with scholarships, like FastWeb. All you have to do is complete a profile, and they'll find scholarships matches for you. You can use my personal referral link to get started today. 

Volunteering
Helping others really does pay off. There are some programs set up that actually offer to pay your tuition in exchange for volunteer work. For example, joining the Peace Corps will get you volunteering around the world for two years as well as pay you money that you can use towards your student loan debt. Not to mention that many scholarship programs look at volunteer hours as a plus.

There isn't one set way to get money for college. If you're still unsure on how you'll pay for college, talk with your parents and your financial adviser about different routes options available to you.
Know about a smart way to pay for college that we forgot? Leave us a comment, or just tell us what you think!