There is aid separate from work-study. Specifically (and this is just the federal stuff; states have education aid programs too): Pell grants, Stafford loans (some are subsidized, and even the unsubsidized ones charge below-market interest), PLUS loans, Hope credit, Lifelong Learning credit, tuition and fees deduction, Education Savings Bond program, the ability for parents to claim full time students age 19-24 as dependents...