Is cold hard cash all that stands between you and your dream of going to college or starting a business? A lack of money doesn't have to be a dream killer, says Michelle Oliver, president of The Oliver Financial Group in Richmond. "Free your mind," she says, and don't focus on the limitations of your bank account. Be willing to search the Web, fill out a grant application, or write a scholarship essay or two to find the money to pursue your goals. To get started, consider these options:

Dream: To Get a College Degree

Many organizations that offer scholarship money are looking for well-rounded applicants who meet criteria beyond grades, such as community service, ethnicity, personal goals and career interests. Grants made available by the federal government and state agencies provide another option. Some other sources to look into:

* The Jeannette Rankin Foundation (rankinfoundation.org) offers grants of $2,000 each fall to low-income women 35 and older who can convey how their education will improve their lives as well as that of their families or communities.

The Possible Woman Foundation International offers scholarships ranging from $2,000 to $4,000 to women returning to work after a hiatus or to stay-at-home morns looking to enter the workforce.

* Check online scholarship databases, such as Sallie Mae's collegeanswer.com and fastweb.com, where you can customize your search and get listings or deadline reminders via E-mail. Or visit blackexcel.org/200-Scholarships.html for more options.

Dream: To Earn a Graduate Degree

Scholarships abound for graduate studies. Check the scholarship databases mentioned above, and consult with professional organizations and business trade groups in your field of study. More ideas:

* The Educational Foundation for Women in Accounting (efwa.org) offers scholarships that range between $1,000 and $5,000 to women pursuing a Ph.D. in accounting.

* Looking for educational experiences to enhance your career? Fellowships may provide the answer. Through its Jacob K. Javits Fellowship Program (ed.gov/programs/jacobjavits/index.html), the Department of Education offers money to applicants interested in fields like the arts, humanities and social sciences. The fellowships cover the tuition and a stipend of up to $30,000.

* For journalists, the eight-month Knight-Wallace Fellows Program at the University of Michigan includes full tuition, along with a $55,000 stipend that students can use for living expenses (mjfellows.org/fellowships/index.html). Otesa Miles, a 33-year-old writer from Richmond who dealt with the mental illness of her mom, wanted to cover the field and the stigma surrounding it in greater depth, so she looked for a fellowship that would allow her to study psychology and mental well-being. She was accepted to the Knight Wallace program. "I had to write two essays and get three recommendations and permission from my employer, who held my job while I was on leave," she says. "But it was all worth it."

Dream: To Buy a Home

Many organizations offer grants and loans that can cover some closing costs to first-time home buyers with good credit scores (typically above 620). Thirty-year-old Jennifer Webber of Silver Spring, Maryland, benefited from one such program: "I did research online and talked to family and friends and knew my credit was good enough to qualify."

* Research down-payment-assistance programs such as AmeriDream (ameridream.org) and Buyers Fund-Neighborhood Gold (neighborhoodgold.com), which give home buyers gifts that are generally worth between 3 and 10 percent of the sales price.

* Federal, state and local governments issue grants and loans to moderate- and low-income mortgage applicants. For example, the Homes for Arizonans Program, which is funded through the HOME Investment Partnerships Program (ncsha.org/section.cfm/3/34/37), enables the Arizona Department of Housing and the Arizona Housing Finance Authority to provide low- and medium-income families with up to $20,000 in down-payment and closing-cost assistance.

* Don't assume government programs are only for a certain salary bracket. In large and expensive cities like Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles and New York, even families earning more than $50,000 can qualify. Check hud.gov, local home-buying organizations and your state's Department of Housing and Community Development to learn about grants.

Dream: To Start a Business

Need to get your business off the ground? Consider these resources:

* The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs are competitive plans that give grants to research-oriented businesses. The SBIR program provides up to $100,000 to small businesses that agree to spend six months researching the feasibility of an innovative idea that SBIR has deemed useful to the general public. Likewise, STTR offers $100,000 to small businesses that will spend a year testing the merits of a new technology. More information about the programs can be found at sba.gov/sbir/indexsbir-sttr.html.