If you are a student looking to jump into college life soon, you will find that there are a number of hurdles standing in your way. With the current economic climate, many students are finding themselves in major trouble when trying to finance their college education, and few of them know exactly where to turn. If you want to go to college but are worried that you won't be able to keep up with the rising cost of tuition, you'll be glad to know that there are a number of options at your disposal for financing your college education needs.The first place you should look is the "free money"arena. Otherwise known as grants and scholarships, these "free"money options are definitely the best option for anyone looking to finance their college education. After all, these are monetary awards that you never have to pay back. You can contact the financial aid department of your college to get an idea of the types of grants and scholarships out there, but keep in mind that these departments are often understaffed and overworked, so you may get the best information through an internet search fro grants and scholarships that suit you.If you can't find any grants or scholarships that you qualify for, you can look into student loans. While borrowing money is not the best way to finance your college education, it is something that shouldn't be overlooked. After all, interest on a loan you take out to finance your education is a good investment when you consider everything you can get out of your college education. Again, contact you financial aid department about this, and it should be much easier to get loans than grants. Generally, your financial aid department will give you a list of banks you can get your loans through, listing the benefits of each for you to choose from.Financing your college education can be difficult in this economic climate, but it is definitely not impossible. There are definitely people out there that are willing to part with money through grants and scholarships if you know where to look. Even if you can't find one of these, there are always loans to fall back on.