Beth Pinsker / Reuters 10:25 AM ETMany rely on a combination of student loans, family savings and work study earnings.
Until last week, high school senior Alex Gomez was missing a key piece in his puzzle-like plan to pay college tuition next year to the University of Colorado.
The 18-year-old from Ruidoso, New Mexico had already lined up family savings, financial aid, work study and loans, and then won a $7,500 scholarship from student-loan lender Sallie Mae for making a video about how he was going to pay for college.