Grad School Worries

I'm completely pumped to be going to grad school in Las Cruces this fall. However, I'm totally at loss as to how I'm going to pay for...well, anything, really. Tuition, rent, bills, kids...achk!! I didn't get an assistantship (not that I was banking on it, my undergrad degree is wildlife and I'm going into Anthro now, and aside from that, my transcripts suck hard core), and I now find out that I'm nearing my "aggregate loan limit" for student loans. Crap! I'm already in debt over my head 10 times over because of student loans, so I figured, what's two more years of accruing humongous amounts of debt? Right? Besides, in some small corner of my mind, there is a part of me that is wishfully thinking that the thing that's supposed to go down in 2012 will adversely affect the computer systems that my loan history is on. (Hey, a girl can hope!). However, apparently that may not be possible. So on to plan B....wait, I never had a plan B! Shit!
I have spent some time looking around the net at grants and whatnot (for some reason, I didn't think to think of this sooner...lovely), and, of course, most of the deadlines are far gone. Ugh. I'm not really sure why I let myself get into these situations.
However, I did find a NSF grant for a master's thesis combining the effects and affects of the interactions between human and natural processes. It's for a measly 500,000 to 1 million (no shit).....like I said, a gal can always hope.

I'm stressed about this, but not too stressed (yet) as I haven't talked to a financial aid advisor. I'll save the full-on panic and tears mode for after.