One of the most stressful times in a student's life is paying for tuition. Most students do not know where their next paycheck is going to come from or how they can come up with the thousands needed to pay for college. There are many options available to those in this situation and it is important to know the difference between each of the options.The first step in getting help with paying for college is to fill out the Federal Application For Student Aid. The FAFSA is a general form that collects data on a student's background and income. It provides grants and loans. Grants are hard to qualify for because they are entirely the product of income. Loans are simpler but can still be challenging. The best hope for most students is scholarships.Scholarships are a great choice because they provide free money for education in return for continued excellence. If a student maintains a certain grade point average or continues to excel in a particular sport, their tuition will continue to get paid. This also means that failing to report the required conditions will result in a loss of the scholarship. There are many scholarships available that are not tied to academic or sports performance.Many schools have special scholarships that are based on very specific criteria. This can range from being female to being a minority to writing poetry. There is no governance over these types of scholarships because they are usually donated money provided to a school in return for focusing on a particular field or group. So if an individual donates money to make sure the History Department stays stocked with people studying Russian history, the scholarship will be given only to those that stay in that field.Scholarships are a great way to pay for college tuition. It does not have to be paid back after graduation and is provided for free. Most of the requirements for scholarships are given upfront and fairly easy to maintain if a student is putting forth their best effort. Other methods are available to fund college but none are quite as simple.