If you are a resident of the Lonestar state, then you will be please to know that the scholarships and grants in Texas are also as big as Texas.  You can learn more about the scholarships available by visiting the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's website. The advantage of having a scholarship or a grant to pay for college is that you will not owe money when you have graduated.  Whereas, with a Federal loan, you have to pay the loan back over a number of years.