text: try harder for the scholarships and look for small ones.\n\nThere are tons of scholarships that go unclaimed each year. Many $400, $500 or $1000 scholarships never even get applied for because people think it's chump change and not worth applying for. Well, get a few of those $500 scholarships and it'll really make a dent in your tuition bill.\n\nMany people make the mistake of looking for one big scholarship amount, and the fact is that everyone is applying for the big awards.  You have a better chance at smaller awards and many awards are not based on academics or sports or major or anything else too specific.  You have to research.  \n\nStay away from student loans as much as you can.  They really undermine your future when you get out.  It took me 7 years to pay back $10,000 in student loans and sometimes my payments were over $400 a month.  When you add rent, food, living expenses to that, it becomes almost impossible to live a decent lifestyle as a new graduate earning entry level wages.\n\nDo a search on scholarships, search your major, your ethnic heritage, your town, your parents employers, your employer, hobbies, high school, local chamber of commerce/rotary/ lion's club etc. Left-handed? There is a scholarship out there for you! Older woman returning to school? There are scholarships out there for you. Do combined searches on more than one criteria "hispanic women aviation scholarships" etc.\n\nGo to the library and ask the reference librarian for a reference book on scholarships. They usually have more than one. There are all kinds of scholarships out there, you just have to start applying yourself and make it your summer career to send out letters everyday for scholarships. Good luck!