To pay for your college education you probably know by now that you have several options - loans, grants, scholarships, buried treasure, and your own savings. If you haven't got enough cash and you are in school, I’ve written some suggestions of places to get help.

Firstly, you should have applied for financial aid already? If you haven’t filled out a FAFSA and submitted it then you should do so – that’s half the process!! Once you’ve done that you can move on to the actual checks.

Secondly, you should have received a student aid report (SAR). The SAR can help you organise and process your grant, Stafford, or Grad PLUS loan. We’re not finished yet – there are other ways to get cash you probably haven’t thought of yet.

Next, there are people giving away cash for your education - scholarships! If you haven’t applied for at least one then you probably didn’t look hard enough. You probably qualify for several. The more obscure the better, of course, unless you have stellar grades, high SAT or ACT scores, and a particularly strong affiliation or talent.

The two scholarships I won both came with either a strong affiliation during school, or a good performance in grades and testing. You might as well apply because at the end of the day there may be very few others applying that year, and the worst they can say is ‘no.’

Other than scholarships, if you need help and don't have time to work for your keep, you will find yourself back at grants and loans - which rely on a financial need. This is where it gets interesting.

Every year many students realize they have overlooked a great opportunity to find money for college. You have to be cautious, but it can help. It's right on the FAFSA - and it's called dependency.

Are you a dependent?

If you’ve already turned 22 last year, the government considers you independent in terms of financial aid for higher education. If you are or have been married, you are probably independent. Are you in the military and finished with your initial training? Also independent. The department of education also considers you independent if you were adopted after 16 or lived in foster care until 18, or find yourself a ward of the state.

So, if you’re considered independent this can really open up financial aid for you. Stafford and Perkins loans and Pell grants are all based on on financial need. If you have no one to support you or married young, you probably need the aid.

A couple of bumps. If you are divorced, but receive substantial alimony, you are not likely ot be considered for student aid. And if you joined the military and haven't completed training, you also don't qualify - yet.

Occassionally your student aid report may not reflect the real conditions at home, or you may attend a very expensive school, and require more aid. You do have the option of using private education loans, just don't go overboard because eventually you’ll have to pay it all back!