Lately, I've been hearing a lot from people of all ages who want to go back to school, and I have to tell you, I'm not at all surprised.

There are a few rules of thumb in regards to a down economy -- things we can expect to happen whenever the stock market goes berserk and the country slips into a recession. The first is that people scale back their spending. The second is that a lot of people, thankfully, shift their focus to paying down their debt and building a cushion of savings. And the third is that enrollment numbers at colleges tend to shoot up.

Many of the people who've written to me were recently laid off. Others are trying to skirt a potential layoff by learning skills that will make them more valuable to their employer. And some are stay-at-home moms or dads who want to earn a degree so they can get a job and add to the family's income. All of these people want to know two things: One, how do I make this transition easy on my family, and two, how the heck do I pay for it?

Luckily, neither problem is as difficult as it seems.

-- Communicate. Going back to school is going to shake things up at home, no doubt about it. If your family is used to you being around all the time -- or even if they're just used to you being home after work, when you'll now be in class a few days a week -- this is going to be a big change. "Getting them lined up so that they are supportive of what you want to do is very, very important," says Al Siebert, co-author of The Adult Student's Guide to Survival and Success. Your spouse is going to have to step up and take on some of the household tasks you usually handle, and if your kids are old enough, they'll need to pitch in as well. You'll also need quiet time when you are home so that you can study. This is a family project -- in a sense, you're all going back to school -- so treat it as such and make decisions together. Keep in mind that the end result will promise a better lifestyle for all involved.

-- Don't be deterred by the price. We all know that higher education is costly. But in nearly all cases, the sticker price of a school is merely the starting point -- once you factor in financial aid, that number often drops significantly. You want to be sure you're comparing apples to apples, so don't start ruling out schools until after you find out what sort of financial aid package they are willing to offer. You need to take value into account as well

-- if a school is less expensive but doesn't offer your major, for example, it won't do much to advance your career.

-- Find the money. Nontraditional students often have the misconception that financial aid is designated only for high school students entering college for the first time, and luckily, that's not the case. "All the books and media attention tend to be focused on the traditional high school student going to college, but financial aid doesn't care how old you are. It's an ageless system," explains Gen Tanabe, co-author of 501 Ways for Adult Students to Pay for College. In fact, as an independent student, you're eligible for higher limits on unsubsidized Stafford loans -- an additional $4,000 per year as a freshman and sophomore, and $5,000 extra per year in your junior and senior years. To get this money, you need to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which the Department of Education uses to determine your aid eligibility. If you want to start school in the fall of this year, now is the time to submit your form. Even if you think you're not eligible, it doesn't hurt to try. And if your circumstances change down the road, it helps to have a snapshot of your history.

One thing to note: In order to receive aid from the Department of Education, you need to attend an accredited school that participates in the federal aid program.

-- Look for scholarships. Many have no age requirements. Start by looking on search sites like FastWeb (www.fastweb.com) and the College Board (www.collegeboard.com). Then ask around at any organizations or professional groups you belong to, which often budget money for scholarships for members and the children of members. If you have a job, your employer may offer tuition reimbursement, as long as you are getting a degree that relates to your position.

-- Use the economy to your advantage. The first part of the financial aid system -- the one involving the FAFSA -- is purely mathematical. It crunches numbers about your assets and income to come up with what's called your expected contribution, or how much you can comfortably afford to pay for school. But the second part of the system - the part that involves each college scrutinizing the numbers and working out a financial aid package for you -- is very human. "Most college financial aid forms have a blank space for you to describe anything that they should take into consideration. That's where you can explain your personal situation, including a layoff in your family," says Tanabe. Because financial aid counselors tend to be numbers-oriented, it helps to include actual figures as backup.