College tuition has risen relentlessly over recent years. Cable news network MSNBC reports the average tuition was slightly over $7,000 for the 2009-10 academic year. CNN says the tuition for a four-year degree is nearly $27,000. Neither includes room, board and other sundry expenses, but both estimate costs could go up as much as 15% by 2010-11. The idea that the cost of earning a degree can be hard to handle is becoming one huge understatement. This isn’t even really taking into consideration traditional or online graduate school for advanced degrees.

This is making many students adopt work-study situations to afford tuition. They enroll at an online college, so they can go to work during the daylight hours, then follow a part-time school schedule. Some national and even international corporations, such as McDonald’s and Blockbuster, will help pay for their education – sometimes even covering the entire tuition – for as long as a student works for them. Still, landing such jobs during the current recession can be few and far between.

It is true that many universities offer grants and scholarships based on financial need or academic performance. The federal government also offers student loans at longer terms and lower interest rates than banks, especially now under President Obama’s new health and education initiative. Even with Obama getting the federal Pell grant up to nearly $6,000 next year, this often leaves huge gaps between what a student gets and what school costs.

Still that isn’t all that’s available to a hardworking student. Access a good search engine, type your curriculum followed by the words “financial aid”. The results will yield an incredible number of outfits much like the aforementioned McDonald’s or Blockbusters. They have scholarships for everyone from medicine to journalism, honest-to-goodness rocket science and veterinary science. A quick search yields four such examples:

(1) NASA. The original home of the rocket scientist holds a competition every year where students propose what they think is the best way to explore space. The idea is to create more professionals to enter the STEM disciplines.

(2) For veterinarians, the American Veterinary Medical Association initiated a debt relief program for those who work on food animals such as sheep, cows and pigs. The group has announced it’s out to combat the spiraling amount of debt many vets incur before they ever graduate.

(3) For journalists, the Scripps Howard Foundation awards a number of different scholarships to students for their achievements in the classroom, on the job, or for their community. The Foundation says these grants are intended as investments to help bring out a young writers’ potential and ensure they stay in the communications profession.

(4) CVS Caremark, a pharmaceutical chain, teamed up with some colleges for scholarship and internship programs. The idea is to diversify their profession and help students gain an interest in pharmacology.

Remember, this is only four examples. There are a number of other companies who are looking to help students get online degrees. With the cost of education skyrocketing, every cent helps.

Those willing to take the time to advance themselves through traditional or online universities will discover resources for this also. There is grants for college, waiting for those who take just a bit of time to explore the possibilities. Your educational future deserves this careful look. For further information about free scholarships and grants, check the internet.