While going to college should be the start of an exciting new chapter in someone's life, all too often it's a harsh introduction to the real world of bills and trying to find money to pay for things.

At the start of each semester, the stress of figuring out how to pay for yet another round of classes and overpriced books is enough to make a person quit before trying.

Luckily, there's a new site that helps students and their families find the "hidden" money out there at different colleges that aren't solely for people with 4.0 GPAs.

Merit aid scholarships are not just for students with a 4.0 GPA. Many merit scholarships from colleges require only a 2.0 GPA - or lower - to qualify and are awarded for accomplishments in leadership and school and community involvement.

The site is MeritAid and, according to the site, there is $11 billion in merit scholarships available to students at campuses across the country. The site shows you what those available scholarships are at the schools of your choice, or students can fill out a profile and be matched with those schools offering the kind of merit aid scholarships that best fit the needs/wishes of the student.

Merit aid scholarships can mean the difference between having a college education and wishing for one.

This is a site worth passing along.