So, you've been accepted to your dream college — congrats! You must've felt so ecstatic and proud when you read your acceptance letter. You must've read it three more times to make sure you read it right. You must've pinched yourself to check if you were dreaming or not. You must've grabbed the person standing closest to you and started doing a super happy dance with them. You must've posted your acceptance letter all over social media. And all that must've lasted for about a week or before you were sent your tuition bill for the following semester. Your smile must've slipped off your face. Your heart must've burned seeing five-figure yearly rate. All your hopes and dreams must've come crashing down to your feet. But, don't worry, there are plenty of ways to keep chasing your dreams without breaking your bank, here are some of them.

1. Try negotiating your financial aid package.

If you've been able to stay out of trouble with your parents and/or teachers, or reduce your punishment, then you, my friend, must have some great negotiating skills. And even if you don't, try doing so with your admission's or financial aid office. It never hurts to sending an appeal letter. By better explaining your current condition or situation, you may be able to receive some empathy and leftover money from the financial aid office. Don't know the best way to write out an appeal letter, well WikiHow has step-by-step directions to help you out.

2. Ask about payment plans.

Don't have $30,000 to pay right off the bat? Good thing payment plans exist then. Payment plans require you to pay a certain amount of money per month, sometimes as low as $100. You get the option of picking the best plan for you and support so you can stick to that plan.

3. Take a year off and start saving some money.

I know it’s not easy getting a high-end, great paying job without a college degree, but if you look around, you can still find certain ones that can help you out. Starbucks, for one, gives their employees (yes, even part-time employees) the opportunity to take advantage of special student discounts on tuition and textbooks. Select schools can even receive scholarships from them. And you can also be eligible to receive a tuition reimbursement of $1,000 per year. (Eligible employees must have worked at Starbucks for at least one year of continuous service before their classes begin.) If selling awesome coffee isn’t your thing, there are plenty of other companies that provide similar opportunities.

4. Ask around.

Remember that one friend you once did a really big favor for? Well, why not revisit them, see how it's going and see if you can get them to lend you some money? Now, this doesn't mean you have to go around hitting up all your old friends and beg for money from them, this is just another way to make connections and share your story with them.

5. If your friends can't help, ask some strangers instead.

GoFundMe is known as the #1 site for crowdfunding and fundraising. Cassie Wessely is one of many young dreamers who was able to successfully raise money to attend the college of her dreams. Cassie was going through some tough times, but the world really came through for her when she needed it. She put her story up and overnight the money and support came rolling in. With so many other students out there with similar problems, you might not get much, but with patience and hope, you too will be able to fund your dreams.

6. Ask your favorite celebrity.

Celebrities love their fans as much as their fans love them and there are many celebrity scholarships out there waiting for you. If they don't fit your criteria or accept a certain college, don't lose hope, because there's another way you can reach out to them — through fan mail! A friend of mine had a teacher who got accepted to Columbia but since she was undocumented, she couldn’t apply for financial aid. One of her teachers gave her the idea of sending as many fan letters to celebrities as she could, and it worked! Jerry Seinfeld wrote back to her and didn’t just pay her tuition for four years, but for FIVE! So, give it a shot, you might get just as lucky and all those years of being a diehard fan will have finally paid off.

7. Take a class online.

Unless you're planning on majoring in psychology or history, or one of those other interesting but not mandatory for your major courses, don't bother taking them at your university — take 'em online instead! There are so many websites out there that are providing people with the ability to take a course online in the comfort of their own homes. Coursera, Udemy, and edX are a few examples. Some of the courses are made from actual universities and taught by the professors from there. It easy to learn, the instructors are always available for help, you get to chat with people from all over the world, and you get to take your time with it. The courses, which will come with lessons and videos, are for the most part free, but some will provide a certificate at the end stating that you have successfully completed this course and that might cost a certain amount. That's really good for future references, because you can add it to your Linkedin or print it out and show off to future employers, or even just hang it on your wall. (Quick tip: the best time to buy these courses are during the holidays, because you get great discounts and you have time over the Winter break to take them. Udemy, for example, gave crazy discounts this Black Friday — courses worth $200 went as low as $10 a piece! Bet they're doing the same for next year too, so keep a look out.)

8. Become an RA.

Room and board can be one of the reasons why your tuition rate is through the roof. Commuting could work, but can come with crazy long commuting schedules and also FOMO of all the awesome things happening overnight at school that you can't attend because you live miles away and you've got a morning class the next day. The best way to beat that? Become an Resident Assistant at your university and get free room and board. Though the job isn't easy and comes with its perks and pitfalls, it's another great idea to try out.

9. Become an Uber driver.

Uber's been great for college students so far — getting you where you need to be, sharing rides, tracking rides with your phone, being able to review and rate your drivers, etc. It's about to get even better now. You can become a part-time Uber driver and make some quick cash. And if you're one of those students going to Columbia and afraid of drowning in debt, here's some more great news: student drivers get discounted tuition. Yep, you read that right! So, if you've got your license and a great driving record, you're already halfway there!

10. Keep trying.

These are only some awesome ideas and as long as you've got hope, you're able to make anything happen, so keep on trying and don't let those dreams die. I did it, thousands of other college students did it and now so can you.