I have a 4 yr old MacBook  and screen that has started to "bleed" into the viewing area I'm in college (poor),  I have a 4 yr old MacBook that has started to "bleed" into the viewing area of the screen making it difficult to see.  

Will Apple replace this or do I have to buy a new one?
What other options do I have without spending a fortune?
Apple will not generally pay for any repairs at the 4 year point in a product, but taking it in and asking is the only way to know.

You would be out some time, but have a quote for a paid repair as well as an explanation on exactly what is happening to the screen and whether it is something one time damaging or something that you can expect to get worse. You also have the option of taking it to a nearby computer repair man, just phone them fist to see if they can repair Apple products.

If you are broke you can try to do it your self using an online how to, I will not link to one as I do not reccomend this as you can end up doing even more damage.