海角大神

The sticker price of college keeps rising 鈥� fast.

As state budgets shrunk between 2007 and 2010, some public schools hiked tuition between 40 and 50 percent. A study released in February says student loans have outpaced credit card debt, with unpaid balances passing $1 trillion in 2011.

A recent College Board report says average tuition and fees for four-year public universities is now $8,244 for in-state students, $631 higher than last year.聽For out-of-state students, $20,770, an increase of $1,122. And tuition and fees for private schools is $28,500, an increase of $1,235.

These are the numbers you see in the headlines, and they鈥檙e scary. But don鈥檛 succumb to sticker shock. Because what the news stories leave out is most people don鈥檛 pay sticker price.

College sticker prices these days can match the price tag on a Ferrari. But there鈥檚 a big difference between college and cars: While no dealer will cut the cost of a car in half based on need, there are resources available to students that can radically reduce the cost of college.

While it鈥檚 true that those from high-income and high-net-worth families may find it more difficult to find help, nearly every student willing to look can find some relief. Here鈥檚 how to go about it鈥�

1. Start with a net price calculator

The Department of Education website has a new tool to help you find a ballpark estimate for the specific schools you鈥檙e interested in. Put in some information and get the estimated net price: the estimated cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books and supplies, room and board and other related expenses) minus estimated grant and scholarship aid.

Every college has been required to offer this info since October 2011. The DoE鈥檚 College Affordability and Transparency Center can also lead you to information about how fast tuition has risen at the school, what majors are offered, and records for campus safety and graduation rates.

2. Apply for FAFSA

FAFSA stands for 鈥淔ree Application for Federal Student Aid.鈥� Students should fill it out in the spring before graduating high school and every year they鈥檙e enrolled 鈥� even if they don鈥檛 think they鈥檒l qualify for aid.

This standardized form is crucial because it tells the school鈥檚 financial aid office you鈥檙e interested in whatever opportunities are available. Nearly every scholarship, work-study, and other type of student aid available starts with the FAFSA form. And because some need-based aid is handed out automatically on a first-come, first-served basis, you want yours filed before everyone else鈥檚. Fill it out online at聽www.fafsa.ed.gov.

3. Hunt for scholarships

Filling out the FAFSA can make you eligible for tons of aid, and many university financial aid departments do a good job of pointing students toward opportunities. But don鈥檛 rely on them alone.

Find and apply to everything you can, because there鈥檚 more financial aid out there than you might think. The College Board鈥檚 scholarship search聽alone claims to check 鈥渟cholarships, other financial aid and internships from more than 2,200 programs, totaling nearly $6 billion.鈥�

And you don鈥檛 have to have great grades or test scores to find help. There are scholarships based on everything from your聽height聽to the community you live in to a passion for the science behind wine. Learn how to master the search in one of our most-shared stories ever, 5 Ways to Score Scholarship Money. Then, don鈥檛 stop looking 鈥� you may become eligible for more later, and new opportunities keep popping up all the time.

4. Look at alternative ways to get or fast-track your education

The traditional four-year route is expensive 鈥� especially at a private school. But there are ways to cut corners without cutting down on your education.

For instance, look into accelerated programs that push you harder but take three years instead of four. If you鈥檙e going for a higher degree, check out programs that combine bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 tracks, or master鈥檚 and doctoral work.

Consider starting at a state community college and getting general education requirements out of the way at a cheaper price, then transferring to a university. Just make sure the credits will transfer with you: The College Board鈥檚 MatchMaker聽can help you find schools that have agreements to do so.

There are also ways to get credit without taking college classes. High school Advanced Placement (AP) courses can give you a head start, and while you have to pass an $87 exam for credit, that鈥檚 far cheaper and quicker than retaking the class in college. Some high schools also partner with nearby colleges to offer dual-enrollment programs 鈥� these meet both high school and college requirements at the same time.

Then there are聽college-level examination program (CLEP) exams.聽If you can prove mastery of a subject on a $77 exam (some schools also add a fee to administer it), you get the credit while saving time and money. Of course, only take the test if you鈥檙e confident you understand the material 鈥� look at a sample of the test online before registering and brush up if you have to. You might even take a free course on iTunes to prep for CLEP.

There鈥檚 also online learning that costs next to nothing compared to most universities.

Finally, there are colleges that don鈥檛 charge at all. According to U.S. News and World Report, there are at least a dozen of these. Be warned you may still end up spending quite a bit if you don鈥檛 live close to them 鈥� most charge for room and board, but not tuition.

5. Take loans as a last resort

If you can鈥檛 cover the costs after aid, there鈥檚 another option: student loans. As the name implies, you have to pay these back, and starting life with a huge debt burden is no fun. So keep them to a minimum 鈥� one rule of thumb says no more than twice the salary an entry-level worker makes for your field of study.

Seek government-backed loans that subsidize the interest charged and offer more flexible repayment terms before turning to private loans. Learn more about the different types of loans at FinAid.org鈥檚 student loan page.

Then learn about options for loan deferments and forgiveness. Some professions, especially in public service, can get you off the hook 鈥� temporarily or permanently. For instance, Peace Corps volunteers can receive up to a 70 percent Perkins loan cancellation over four years. Read about other loan-forgiveness programs here.

Bottom line? Don鈥檛 let the headlines about spiraling college costs convince you a higher education is unattainable. If you鈥檙e willing to do the legwork, the options are out there.

Brandon Ballenger is a writer for Money Talks News, a consumer/personal finance TV news feature that airs in about 80 cities as well as around the Web. This column first appeared in Money Talks News.