SANTA ANA, Calif. — Sept. 27 is D-Day for Vincent Arvizo. It's the day the college junior in Seal Beach, Calif., will either come up with enough money to begin his studies at the University of California San Diego or have to figure out another path to earning a degree that he hopes will lead toward his dream job with the United Nations or the State Department.

Arvizo, 23, thought it was all going to work out after he received $5,500 in government-subsidized Stafford loans and a $500 scholarship from Golden West College, which he attended for his first two years of higher education. But more than a month to go before classes start and his family unable to help financially, he's still at least $1,700 short of covering his fees and parking — and that doesn't include money for books and room and board.

"I'll do some juggling and try to make it, but I'm still worried about the possibility of it not working out," Arvizo said.

Numerous students like Arvizo and their parents are finding themselves in a last-minute scramble to meet tuition deadlines. For some, anticipated aid fell through. For others, unexpected increases in tuition or fees put the costs out of reach.

Don't panic, college financial advisers tell them. Even at this late date, with classes beginning in just a few weeks, there's money out there — and it's not just student loans. Government grants and even some scholarships can be found with some effort.

"It's not too late to apply for grants or loans," said Jessica Schutte, assistant director of the office of financial aid at California State University at Fullerton, who was still processing financial-aid applications for the 2004-05 school year as late as July.

She said a surprising number of people think incorrectly that they are ineligible for grants and don't even apply.

Schutte and others recommend that every college-bound student fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid — better known as a FAFSA form. It can be filled out quickly online at www.fafsa.ed.gov and is the key to getting government financial aid.

Pat Machado, who oversees financial-aid counseling at the Santa Ana Unified School District, said some students may not qualify for enough to cover tuition, but smaller amounts can still make a difference.

"Five hundred dollars may not sound like a lot of money," she said, "but when one textbook can easily cost $80 to $90, it adds up."

Besides government-financed student aid, dozens of smaller scholarships are available from donors ranging from the Daughters of the American Revolution to Coca-Cola. Local civic and community groups, unions and businesses also can be a source of scholarships.

Several companies offer to do a scholarship search for students needing aid — often for a fee of $50 to more than $1,000. The Federal Trade Commission, however, cautions people to be wary of possible scams.

A tip-off to a less-than-legitimate service would be one that guarantees a scholarship in exchange for an advance fee or one that requires a credit card or bank account number to "hold a scholarship." CSUF's Schutte said there's no reason to use these paid search services at all.

Many of these free sites can be found on your own with a simple online search.

Several resources can be found on the Register's Web site at www.ocregister.com/business /2005/college. If a student has trouble finding a site or needs advice, financial-aid offices can help.