Over the past few weeks, we've been spending a lot of time discussing the FAFSA  (the Free Application for Federal Student Aid), which is a great place to begin your financial aid journey.

But don't stop there.

Recently I came across this Washington Post article  describing the experiences of Ben Kaplan, who won more than $90,000 in merit scholarships and graduated from Harvard University debt-free in 1999.

Kaplan is proof that many a merit-based scholarship is there for those willing to seek them out. So complete your FAFSA and apply for scholarships. With a little creativity and a lot of diligence, free money for education could be yours.

How aggressively are you pursuing your scholarship search? Start with some of Wells Fargo's free tools, or share your experiences with us.