No matter what you have to start with FAFSA.
www.fafsa.ed.gov/
It's free to file....if you get on the wrong website they trick you into thinking you have to pay to file. If you want to file it electronically you'll have to apply for a pin which they'll send through snail mail. I recommend doing that cause it makes it a lot easier once it's done. You can get a paper application from your school or the library if you want to do it that way.
Grants- The only federal grant I found was the Pell grant. States offer different things. I live in Pa, I know they offer a state grant too. The Pell grant is easy to get and depends on your dependent/independent status and income. But the max you can possibly get it $4,310 a year. They split it in half for each semester....which sucks, I don't know of a school that only costs $2,000 a semester. So you'll definitely need loans... Oh for the pell grant, you just file your FAFSA and they give you an estimated family contribution and you'll find out from your school how much you get in your award letter.
http://www.studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALS...sp?tab=funding
Loans- The Stafford loan should probably be your first choice. It isn't dependent on credit and you pay after you graduate. They offer subsidized (if you qualify) and pay the interest while you're in school and unsubsidized (interest accumulates). You'll probably need to get both. And there is a Perkins loan you may want to check out and of course the parent loans that I know nothing about.
http://www.studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALS...udentloans.jsp
http://www.studentaid.ed.gov/student...nsLoanInfo.pdf
For the stafford, you can apply online, you just have to decide who to go through. If your state has something set up to fund education....like Pa has Pheaa....go through that. I know if you go through PHEAA they have a loan forgiveness program. You work at a place on their list for 2 years and they forgive up to $12,000 of student loans.
Every state is different and every school is different. Talk to someone in your school's financial aid office. If you don't inquire about aid then you won't get it. Hope I helped a little
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