Several years ago, anybody that was interested in getting a college degree online would have to pay for tuition out of their pocket. While financial aid was available at schools that held class in a traditional classroom, the fear of diploma mills made financial aid unavailable for online schools. Fortunately, all that has changed. You are now able to find help to finance an online education in the same way that you pay for attending a regular university.
As an online college student, you will be eligible to apply for federal student aid. You can do this by filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The government will come up with your Expected Family Contribution (EFC), based on last year's income, any dependents you might have, your age, and other factors. Using your EFC, your school will put together a financial aid package to make up the difference between the amount of money you are expected to pay for out of pocket, and the actual cost of attending college. Financial aid packages typically consist of grants, loans, and perhaps work study, if you request it.
Scholarships are available for a variety of reasons. Some are need-based, others are based on how well you write an essay. Scholarships are awarded for left-handed students, minorities, people born in certain states or majoring in certain subjects, or even people that work for certain companies. The College Board has a list of larger scholarship programs that you can search on their web site, but you can also look to find smaller, more local New Mexico scholarships at your local library bulletin board or at a nearby community college guidance office. Scholarship information is available for free, so don't pay for someone to give you a list of scholarships. You can find that information yourself.
Your employer might offer financial aid. It's in your employer's best interest for its workers to be productive and have high morale. This is why many employers offer tuition assistance. You can check with the human resource office at your workplace to find out if they have any sort of financial aid. If you work for a smaller company, you might want to ask your boss if they have a college assistance program.
If you are planning on paying for college at least partially with student loans, you may wish to look into loan repayment programs that New Mexico offers. If you are working in certain public service jobs related to the law profession, or are working as a health professional in an underserved area, New Mexico offers loan repayment programs. These programs won't help you while you are in school, but they can help you pay back loans after you have graduated.