My kids' funding options for college (not just loans) have been: merit scholarships, need scholarships, private scholarships, federal aid (PELL), state aid (TAP), school grants, sub and unsub loans, work study, summer earnings, work off campus, savings, small amounts from us. There have also been some fed grants that have disappeared (SMART grant, I think), and DD3 just signed for a TEACH grant which will require her to teach in underprivileged areas for a number of years, or it converts to loans she has to repay. They have also received refundable tuition tax credits at the Fed and state levels.