text: The first place to start is by filling out the Federal Application for Student Aid.  This form is sent to the school you are attending and you are then considered for institutional aid as well as government aid.  If you indicate your interest on the form, you will be considered for Pell Grants, Federal Work Study, Stafford Student Loans as well as scholarships.  How much money you receive will depend on how much money you make and how old you are.  For instance if you are 19 years old, unemployed but your parents are rich doctors, you will not be offered grants (free money) but you will be offered parent loans (loans mom and dad have to pay back).  22 is the magic age where your parents income is no longer a part of your FAFSA, unless you qualify for one of the special circumstances such as you are a ward of the state (orphan), you were adopted or you are no longer a legal dependent of your parents (not tax dependent, legal dependent). If you are a parent or have dependents that will help your chances of getting grants.  You have to apply for a PIN first, then you can submit your information to the FAFSA folks.  Check out http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/ and your school's financial aid site for more information.  Merit based (GPA, volunteer work, etc) scholarships are awarded by the school and not the government.