Trying to work education into your budget? A recent survey of 130 online schools conducted by GetEducated.com found that tuition costs for an online M.B.A. ranged anywhere from $5,598 to $115,700, with an average cost of just under $14,500. No matter how expensive your degree choice, it will most likely require some financial adjustments.

Here are seven ways to lessen the blow to your bank account.

Whatever you do, don't make any assumptions about what sort of federal aid you qualify for, because you could be shortchanging yourself -- literally.

"Financial aid is very specific to individual situations," says Brad Burnett, the University of Oklahoma's executive director of financial aid.

"Broad comparisons should not be made. Also, rules and regulations can change on an annual basis so people who went through the process five years ago would have no information concerning the current environment. The best rule of thumb is to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and let the financial aid office notify you of the types and amount of aid for which you qualify."

And just because you're learning via an Internet connection instead of within ivy-covered buildings doesn't mean you're not eligible for federal aid. The growth and popularity of distance learning has prompted the Department of Education to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965.

In the past, the act required students to be present in a classroom more than half the time (formally known as the "50 percent rule"). However, now online institutions and programs are subject to the same federal financial aid rules as their brick-and-mortar counterparts.

That means if online students meet the normal aid-eligibility requirements (credit hours needed, etc.), they have the same chance of receiving aid as anyone attending a campus-based college.

There are billions of scholarship dollars available to students of all types -- it's just a matter of doing a little legwork to find out which ones apply to you. Fortunately, there are resources that can help. Sallie Mae, a student-loan provider and administrator of college savings plans, provides one such resource at its site College Answer. Here, students have free access to information on more than 2.4 million scholarships worth in excess of $15 billion.

"Students complete an online student profile form and answer questions about academics, family background, career interests, extracurricular activities, work experience, college plans and more," explains Erica Eriksdotter, corporate communications representative for the organization.

"Within seconds of submitting the form, they receive a customized, online list of potential scholarships, including the award amount, eligibility criteria, deadline date and the provider's contact information."

Beyond seeking out independent organizations or employers who offer scholarship moneys, online schools themselves often make efforts to assist students in paying for school. For example, Penn State University's World Campus offers a scholarship that is funded entirely by staff and students at the school.

Are car payments chipping away at would-be tuition dollars? Is credit card interest swallowing up money that could be used for books and materials? A little research can go a long way when it comes to reducing your existing bills or consolidating your debt.

Debt consolidation firms can help you reduce the amount you pay out each month in order to cover both essentials and accrued credit card debt. Some offer comparison-shopping features for credit cards, cell phones, Internet access and even home equity loans so you can free up much-needed cash for education expenses.

Many companies offer employees tuition-reimbursement options that can not only help save cash, but combined with other efforts can practically fund an entire degree.

Bill Godfrey is an online student working toward an M.B.A. at the University of Phoenix [an MSN advertiser], a degree that will ultimately cost about $24,000.

"My employer provides $3,500 a year toward reimbursement," says Godfrey. "I earned a scholarship this year from the school's alumni association that covered the cost of one class. If I'm reimbursed for two classes per year and win two more scholarships, I can finish my degree at a cost of less than $3,000."

Sometimes online schools are willing to acknowledge your experience to help you get to your degree quicker -- for example, if you've been a manager for the past 10 years, you could potentially parlay that into management credits commonly known as "credit for life experience."

The College Board administers a group of more than 30 standardized tests called College Level Examination Program tests that can help you turn your life's work into valuable money-savers.

The exams test for proficiency in everything from American history to marketing, and each one can be worth up to 12 undergraduate credits. Every school's policy is different, so be sure to check with your prospective college or university on how they handle scores.

Beyond that, investigate "executive" programs, which eliminate some of the more basic coursework so students with work experience can get right to the training they require -- saving money in the process.

"These types of programs are becoming more common," says Bruce Kingma, associate dean at Syracuse University, who points out the popularity of their new executive degree in information management.

"We took a 42-credit program and made it 30 credits so professionals who are already at a certain level in their careers don't need to take introductory classes."

If you're looking to begin a new learning journey but don't have the finances to splurge for a full-blown degree, you can start chipping away by earning credits via community college classes.

"As a community college, we reduce tuition for in-state students," explains Susan Gallagher, coordinator of distance learning at Hudson Valley Community College. "It's a very cost-effective idea to look toward the community colleges in your area and see what discounts are available for in-state students."

Of course, you'll need to make sure that the credits you're earning through online community college courses are transferable to the degree program in which you eventually wish to enroll. Luckily, many schools have articulation agreements with a wide range of universities.

"If there is an articulation agreement between the two schools, there can be a seamless transition from a two-year college to a four-year university," explains Gallagher. Hudson Valley Community College has agreements with City University of New York and State University of New York schools, online universities, private universities and even schools abroad.

After you've exhausted all possible "free money" -- federal aid, scholarships and your own savings -- you can use private loan options to fund the remainder of your online degree expenses, known as gap financing.

"Private loans are credit-based and most of the lenders have online applications," explains Barry Feierstein, private credit executive from Sallie Mae.

"Most education lenders will match federal deferments, which means interest is accruing but no payments need to be made until after graduation."

As far as finding the right lender for gap financing, it pays to shop around. "Contact your school and ask if they offer a private loan program, instead of trying to find one on your own," he adds. "Very often, lenders will cut volume-based pricing for all the students who are borrowing from a particular school. This way, it's like you're borrowing as a school, not as an individual."

But even with all these options at your disposal, funding your online degree will require two critical things: planning and saving.