It may not be news that the price of college has been going up — but you may not know about all the ways you can save money on tuition.

People who get a college education often make more money and have better career success and satisfaction throughout their lives than people who have not gone to college. In addition to a great education, college offers great life experience that you can’t get anywhere else.

Unfortunately for many people, college also offers an unwanted graduation present: Decades of loan payments. More than 60 percent of college seniors who graduate from college had student loan debt, and they owed an average of close to $29,000, according to a report on student debt at graduation by The Institute for College Access & Success.

How can you lower that bill, or graduate debt free?

Here are a few tips:

Apply for scholarships! Your college may offer scholarships, but did you know that many local stores, nonprofit organizations and even credit unions offer scholarships, too? Look for every possible scholarship and apply for those awards. (CommonWealth One’s scholarship applications are due March 31. Here’s more information on how to apply.)

Look for grants. Like scholarships, grants are money you won’t need to pay back. For some state and federal grants, you’ll need to fill out the FAFSA (the Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and your college of choice will be able to help you find grants.

Apply for financial aid and negotiate your awards. Your college will offer you loans, including federal loans and grants. Read that package of information carefully and don’t hesitate to push back if you think you need more than they’re offering.

Get college credits outside of a four-year college. If you take some Advanced Placement classes, you may be able to get college credit. You can also take community college classes during summer break to get ahead (just talk to your college first to ensure the credits will transfer). Or, you can go to community college for the first two years of school and then transfer to a four-year institution. In addition, some internships can earn you college credits.

Before you start looking at private loan options, be sure to join us for our free webinar, "Paying for College". The webinar is coming up March 10 at 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.