They’re the “Best Value” national universities – at least in terms of US News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges 2011” edition. While they might not offer the lowest published tuition rates, the University of Notre Dame, University of Southern California and University of California-Irvine are among those that might actually dip a little less deep into student pockets than other institutions. They made the US News & World Report “best value” list because of what some refer to as their “net” cost.

Several new and expanded scholarship programs have been announced recently. One of the most far-reaching was in Arkansas, where the Arkansas News Bureau noted that a new state lottery helped more than 25,000 students qualify for what’s known as Academic Challenge Scholarships. Without the lottery last year, 8,282 students qualified for these same scholarships, the Arkansas News Bureau reported.

US News & World Report did just this. The publication, in analyzing the scholarships and financial aid offerings at the top 1,800 colleges and universities in the nation, came up with those where students might expect to pay less out of pocket than $20,000 for tuition and fees, room and board, meal plans, books and travel. It can be hard for families in tough economic times particularly to reason with taking on large college debts when the future seems uncertain, an article in an August edition of Forbes magazine noted.

Forbes, in its “Best Buy Colleges and Universities,” looked at school quality and average tuition sticker price and fees for 2008 to come up with a list where the top 10 included service academies, such as the Air Force and Coast Guard, that don’t charge tuition. The Forbes top 10 also included institutions with special aid programs that make them tuition free. A rare non-free institution on the Forbes top 10 was University of Florida, which came in at no. 9.

Colleges, universities and technical schools often offer scholarships as a means of attracting students. When it comes to selecting an institution, students are often advised to first look toward quality schools that meet their needs and goals and then decide after the costs and financial aid are taken into account. Costs these days, however, might weigh in more than they have in the past. Some lesser known schools are trying to attract applicants by offering scholarships to every admitted student, the US News & World Report article notes.

There are sources other than colleges and universities that provide scholarships, however. Non-profit organizations, large corporations and community and civic groups are among them, as are some churches. In instances where students obtain scholarships such as these, the assistance can often be applied to any institution that’s accredited by a nationally recognized agency. Students are often able to apply scholarships to online degree programs and courses in instances where this accreditation is in place as well.

Several new scholarships have also been helping students with college and university costs. In Arkansas, a new state lottery this year helped more than 25,000 students who qualified for Academic Challenge Scholarships, according to an August report from the Arkansas News Bureau. Last year, without the lottery, only 8,282 students qualified for these same scholarships, the News Bureau noted.

Students of all ages and backgrounds can find scholarships for which they’re eligible. A variety of search engines on the Internet make it easy to locate a wide range of aid, such as government grants. Students who put in the time and effort might even obtain single scholarships that pay high dividends or several that combined allow them to attend on-campus and online college programs tuition-free.

To help cover rising college costs at a time when economic setbacks affected millions of Americans, families in a Sallie Mae study released in August reported reducing spending and increasing work hours. Nearly half of the families surveyed (43 percent) for “How America Pays for College” noted that students for the 2009-2010 academic year lived at home. Families noted they also relied on more money from scholarships and grants, the second largest source of money for paying for college, university and technical school, is scholarships and savings, the Sallie Mae study shows.

Distance learning is another area where families might consider reducing spending. With online education students study remotely and can save costs associated with commuting back and forth to campus, as well as housing, meals and the like. Scholarships these days can often be applied to online learning programs in the same way they can the campus-based variety. Information about scholarships and other forms of financial aid is also readily available, thanks to an array of free scholarship search engines that include:

CareerInfo.net: This free scholarship search comes from the U.S. Department of Labor and provides information about more than 5,000 scholarships, along with fellowships and loan options. Families and students can provide as much or as little information as they want, narrowing the results – or in some instances, perhaps expanding them – by providing information about level of study, student gender and ethnicity, area of residence and more. Some scholarships might be intended for women and minorities; others for college level, area of study students within specific geographic regions.

College Board: This non-profit organization also provides a free scholarship search engine where families and students can be as general or specific as they want. The College Board works to help students find opportunity and success in their college and university endeavors. Families and students who rely on its scholarship search also can decide whether they want results to include internship, loan and research grant options.

Salliemae.com: Sallie Mae calls itself the country’s “leading saving, planning and paying for college company.” In addition to offering what’s known as 529 plans to help families save money for campus and distance learning offerings at the college level, Sallie Mae provides access to more than three million scholarships valued at more than $16 billion. The list is expanded and updated each day, according to the Sallie Mae website.

ScholarshipExperts.com: In 2000, after a group of parents, professionals and students wanted a scholarship search that produced quality results, ScholarshipExperts debuted. Through ScholarshipExperts, which touts that it has been endorsed by Forbes and Money magazines, families and students these days are said to have access to more than 2.4 million scholarships totaling $14 billion-plus. Searches, in addition to scholarships for distance learning and campus-based programs, offer direct access to scholarship applications, according to the ScholarshipExperts site.

Student Aid on the Web: This United States Department of Education site provides information to help prepare students and help them pay for distance learning and campus programs at the college level, according to the website. Students interested in scholarships for distance learning and campus-based education opportunities establish accounts and receive help with conducting scholarship searches, the Student Aid on the Web website shows. The Department of Education also maintains a list of accredited institutions and programs on its website, which is important since scholarships and other forms of financial aid often require accreditation.

What’s out there for the new and returning student are government grants that will help defray the expense of college. Not taking on a huge debt burden is one way to succeed before even really starting to study. Students will find that online school programs will let them work or attend to family responsibilities as they advance to the next level.