The cost of a college education has only been rising, and at some US schools, the annual sticker price now surpasses $100,000. As millions of Americans drown in student debt , some schools have implemented policies to help students better afford higher education , including free-tuition initiatives. The financial aid landscape in the US is often complicated, riddled with ultra-specific jargon, and can look entirely different from family to family. In many cases, "tuition-free" does not mean the entire cost of college is covered, and students may still be responsible for housing, food, books, fees, health insurance, travel, or personal expenses. Some of these schools are elite institutions ranking among the hardest schools to get into in the US, while others are designated work colleges offering free tuition in exchange for students working on-campus jobs.…