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Crisp fall weather means college campuses everywhere are being invaded by visiting high school seniors eyeing prospective dorms ... as their parents hyperventilate over the price tag.

Today's credit crunch is making the already daunting burden of paying for college seem even more impossible. Luckily, there is still plenty of funding available – if you know where to look. We have the scoop for you in our video below.

Looking to secure a loan for college to help cover those hefty tuition bills? Find out where you can get funding in Ken and Daria's special alert, only on Dolans.com.

The credit crisis seems theoretical and far away -- until the bank starts messing with your credit card. Many consumers are finding the first place they're seeing tangible evidence of the crisis is when credit card issuers cancel their accounts or lower their limits -- sometimes even below their current balance.

Many consumers aren't thinking of buying a house right now because they're worried the housing prices may slide a lot further. According to the National Association of Realtors, 70% of people who don't own a home already don't plan to buy one in the next year -- and many cite tight mortgage restrictions as a reason.

For now, where most people will get hit is on smaller loans, like those for cars and revolving credit on a credit card. Here are some tips from the experts on what's ahead and what strategy you may want to play:

Depending on who you talk to, America might be in the midst of a Wall Street crisis, Main Street crisis, credit crisis, subprime mortgage crisis, or some other dire-sounding crisis. But how many consumers really know what this means or how we got here?

If you ask someone like felon-turned-fraud-investigator Barry Minkow, the situation's primary roots are in those who lied to get mortgages on properties. They got caught up in the hype of owning a home or investing in real estate, and were willing to lie in order to get their mortgages approved. But don't think he's letting Wall Street off the hook. A lot happened there which contributed heavily to the mess we're in now.

Today I found an article that probably gives the most straightforward explanation of the entire situation to date. Mike Flynn, director of government affairs at the Reason Foundation, reminds us all that while Wall Street is having fits, our economy as a whole still isn't doing all that bad. Our economy is still growing, even if it's at a very slow rate, and unemployment is contained at just over 6%. That's in contrast to the Great depression, in which the country's economic output had fallen dramatically and unemployment was extremely high.

Politicians, economists, columnists and bloggers have offered numerous stark predictions about how the current financial crisis and government bailout will affect average Americans. But the truth is that Wall Street's crisis, which kicked off September 15 with the fall of Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch and AIG, is already affecting Main Street.

We list eight ways your finances are already being affected by the current financial meltdown:

Credit card limits reduced:
Even if you have a high credit score and a blemish-free payment history, your credit limit may have been cut. American Express recently cut the credit for 10% of its cardholders, but most banks have reduced credit limits for some customers since last summer. If you are making a big purchase or use your credit card for unplanned expenses, be sure to check your limit. There are big penalties for going over it.

Student loans harder to come by:
It's not just banks and mortgage lenders that are suffering. The student loan industry is in crisis. Private lenders are going under and some state agencies and large banks, including Bank of America and Wachovia, have stopped issuing student loans. Some schools are being more forgiving on payment schedules as students scramble to secure funding. Call the student aid office for help, but expect less favorable terms than prior years.

Money market mutual funds safer:
To stave off investor panic after one prominent money market fund "broke the buck," or posted a small decline in value, the government has promised it would cover any losses. Not all funds are covered in the new program, so check with your fund company if you are worried. With this added protection, money market funds are now just as safe as bank savings accounts.

More incentives to open bank accounts:
One result of the credit crisis is that banks are trying their darndest to attract more deposits. Chase is currently offering $125 (at least in New York City) to open an account with direct deposit. Citibank is beefing up its "Thank You" rewards program. Refer a friend, and Bank of America will give you both $25. Remember, low fees and high interest on savings are more important than one-time incentives when choosing a bank.

Easier to get a loan if you have good credit:
Don't forget, even in the current crisis, banks want to stay in business. So they are continuing to make loans to borrowers with with good credit records and plenty of assets. There are good deals on home equity lines of credit and businesses have found short-term loans easier to come by since the bailout talks began.

Harder to get a loan if you have weak credit:
If you have a tarnished credit history, don't expect to get a loan any time soon -- even if you're willing to pay high interest rates. Banks continue to tighten their lending standards as the credit crisis deepens. If you need to rebuild your credit score, a good way to start is by using a secured credit card (one where you have cash in a bank account to back up purchases).

More deals at stores in preparation for weak holiday spending:
With the economy slowing and family budgets tightening, retailers are anticipating a tough holiday sales season ahead. So they are layering on the deals early. Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving when the holiday shopping season kicks off, should provide a bonanza of deals. Consumer electronics will offer particularly good buys.

Investment returns are down:
The stock market has taken it on the chin in recent weeks. But sharp sell-offs on bad news have been followed by major relief rallies a day or two later. The worst thing you can do is panic and sell at the bottom. Instead, make sure your investments are diversified and use the upswings to sell some stocks if you realize now that you've taken on more risk than you can handle.

It's a brand new world out there. Time was, just a few short years ago, getting a loan for a brand new car was just about as easy as showing up and filling out the paperwork. The banks, flush with all that mortgage money, didn't mind taking a risk on small change like auto loans. Indeed, it was almost as easy as getting a mortgage.

No longer. Now that the banks are in crisis mode, getting a car loan has become something to sweat over, especially if your credit is less than sterling.

According to a blog called Kicking Tires, dealers around the country are reporting that dramatically fewer people qualify for a car loan, and even those few with excellent credit are finding the interest rates of the loans they qualify for are higher than they expected.

I got this email today (a good one) from a reader wanting to know who we should hold responsible for the mortgage "crisis."

Q: David: Can we hold our political leaders responsible for the financial crisis comprising misrepresented mortgage-based financial vehicles, like CDOs, derivatives, and other mortgage portfolio "packages" or is this so-called crisis just the by-product of a "natural" inclination of the mortgage market to correct itself in accord with principles of supply and demand? In other words, is there a specific group of humans culpable for this crisis?

A: Good question. Here's my answer.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson is recommending that the government impose tighter regulations on mortgage lenders. He says this is necessary to avoid another credit crisis. He says that the regulations are behind the times and we need to update them and exercise more oversight of lenders. This includes licensing for mortgage brokers and tighter guidelines for credit rating agencies.

Really? Did the lack of government oversight cause this "credit crisis"? Or was it more a combination of consumers buying properties that they couldn't afford and lenders all to eager to earn money by writing their mortgages regardless of their income or credit? Because I don't know that more oversight is really the answer. Frankly, I'd like to see the government butt out of our lives and businesses a little more.

Here's what I think: The lenders who wrote bad mortgages should suck it up and deal with it. No government money to help them out. The homeowners who overbought should also suck it up and either sell their houses or get out of them. No bail outs for the borrowers. They can fix their credit problems on their own.