[header] How to get an affordable college education [title] Apply to a lot of schools. [step] Applying to as many schools as you can will greatly increase the chances of getting a lower-cost or even a free college education. While it can get expensive to apply to dozens of colleges, you should look at the average cost to submit an application and apply to as many places as you can afford. 
[substeps] Studies have shown that if you have a lot of colleges to choose from, you're more likely to receive more financial aid. If you're a good student, colleges will want to draw you to them.