There is no such thing as "free money". All Federal Grants that open are announced at http://grants.gov Go. Look for yourself. If you find one that is appropriate for you as an individual, I'll apply for you. If you still do not believe me, go to the Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) and look through it. It provides a description of all programs that have ever been in place. Now, for college there are some things you can do but they begin and end at the schools Finance Officer. (They will encourage you to pursue strategies that have worked for others in the past including local service organizations and focused foundations.)