Credit unions?

I am starting a career after finishing my B.A. and M.Ed, and I am getting really overwhelmed with the process of paying back student loans and costs of college. Would a credit union be able to help me, at least for financial advice? I would like to consolidate my loans (Federal and Perkins), and possibly get a better rate on my car payments, but I'm a little fuzzy about how a credit union works in the first place.