If you are trying to figure out how you can afford to go to college, the good news is that there are a lot of options out there. Financial aid is available in many forms, including both student loans and grants. However, many people don't understand the difference between student-loans and grants.

Grants are a special type of financial aid that is given to the student by the government. They are based on need and determined by the FAFSA. The FAFSA is the only way to qualify for these grants. Grants do not need to be paid back, but they are harder to get than loans are. Although they provide some support for college, they probably won't cover the entire amount of your education.

Then you have student loans. They are available if you need more funding for college. They help you to pay for tuition and some of the other fees and expenses you may have while going to college. There are several federal loans to choose from, including loans your parents can take out too. Student loans different from grants because they have to be paid back. While grants never have to be paid back, your student loans will have to be paid back at some point.

The great thing is that you may qualify for both options. Grants are excellent because you don't have to pay them back, and to supplement your grants, student loans can be very helpful. Of course, in order to get either from the government, you will need to fill out your FAFSA forms and get them turned in as quickly as possible.