If you’re one of the people who’s intrigued by the possibility of going back to school, but don’t have the money to do so, you’re in for a big surprise. The federal government has been providing billions of dollars in stimulus money to corporations and now to people who want to go back to college. Here are several options you may have to get free college financial aid for your degree.

Recent revisions to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act have allowed this stimulus bill to increase the amount students receive for the Pell Grant from $281 to $400 in subsequent years. But this is only the beginning. Students in need are going to receive thousands of extra dollars. Tax credit bills, like the Hope Grant, provide an additional $1,650 tax credit, even on top of the Pell money you’ll receive. If you are a mother who wants to go back to college and has children, you can receive enough for a full trip to college.

So where do you start? The best way to get started is to complete your FAFSA forms online and then go to the ED site to see what financial aid is available to you. Depending on your major, you can find several online services that list grants to apply for. Take your time. Don’t rush into a student loan until you’ve exhausted all of your possible resources for free money for school.

My final advice to you is to look at the stimulus package from the federal government that has allocated twelve billion dollars in funding for students seeking a two-year degree. If you are a single mother, the time is right for you to apply for this free college financing now.

Whatever your goal, look for the free money first and then, if necessary, take out a loan and top it off with a job. You can do this, but apply for grants and scholarships before you make a very expensive, but very responsible decision to go back to school and get a degree. Do it all with free financial aid for college if you can, and you’ll have less debt to pay in the long run.