There are many options besides Stafford loans, and your best bet would be to talk to the financial aid officer at the school you will be attending. Other options include military scholarships (in exchange for service), borrowing from parents if they have stuff saved up, having parents borrow for you, i.e. PLUS loans...some schools have merit scholarships... other schools have loans for people going into specific careers, i.e. Primary Care. other schools have "school-based" loan programs, generally at a lower interest rate than the Feds. there are also state scholarship programs, where the state will give you money in exchange for service. schools tend to have their preferred lenders, others could care less...some lenders have high origination fees ("loan fees", so you actually net out a little less than you actually need)...the whole FA process can be pretty confusing, so ya gotta get help.
all of these various programs have pros and cons, so it's especially important to meet with the FAO to get the most accurate and balanced information.
oh...and credit cards don't count 😉
hope this helps,
