My sister is currently attending college in NYC and lives off campus. I believe she got a private student loan that pays for everything, tuition, rent, books, etc. In the past, I used my financial aid to pay for everything school related (I think it might be easier to pay for living expenses on campus through aid because the bill goes to the same place). It would definitely be a good idea to go meet with a financial aid counselor at your intended/current college, though, to straighten out questions. They'll be able to answer them in more detail than we can.