[MaineEMT2RN]

Originally Posted by RhodyGirl-SN

I
I don't think anyone is a "fan of debt"...but some of us don't have a choice. Hubby and I have a mortgage to pay, so unfortunately I had to take some loans out.
As long as you have a reasonable plan to keep finances in line I don't see a problem with some debt. After all, we didn't have several hundred thousand dollars just lying around to buy our house!

We certainly didn't have thousands of dollars just lying around to purchase our home. Neither of us is in a high paying job - McD's is hiring at more than I make per hour, and DH only makes 50 cents more than they are paying, but it's work he loves and that matters too. However, we agreed right from the start that our financial priority is to live without debt, so we are frugal where ever we can be and live simply. The result for us is that we have a very nice, modest home with a few acres in a beautiful place, and we are able to manage my school expenses without loans and when I graduate we will still be without debt.

I absolutely understand that we all don't share the same financial goals, but I believe we all do have a choice. Yours is simply different than mine.

[RhodyGirl-SN]

Originally Posted by MaineEMT2RN

We certainly didn't have thousands of dollars just lying around to purchase our home. Neither of us is in a high paying job - McD's is hiring at more than I make per hour, and DH only makes 50 cents more than they are paying, but it's work he loves and that matters too. However, we agreed right from the start that our financial priority is to live without debt, so we are frugal where ever we can be and live simply. The result for us is that we have a very nice, modest home with a few acres in a beautiful place, and we are able to manage my school expenses without loans and when I graduate we will still be without debt.

I absolutely understand that we all don't share the same financial goals, but I believe we all do have a choice. Yours is simply different than mine.

My post was not directed toward you particularly. I saw the phrase "not a fan of debt" several times throughout the thread and wanted to point out that I am not either....but there is no way we could have purchased a home without taking on a mortgage. My 2 cents.

[Jules A]

Originally Posted by MaineEMT2RN

We certainly didn't have thousands of dollars just lying around to purchase our home. Neither of us is in a high paying job - McD's is hiring at more than I make per hour, and DH only makes 50 cents more than they are paying, but it's work he loves and that matters too. However, we agreed right from the start that our financial priority is to live without debt, so we are frugal where ever we can be and live simply. The result for us is that we have a very nice, modest home with a few acres in a beautiful place, and we are able to manage my school expenses without loans and when I graduate we will still be without debt.

I absolutely understand that we all don't share the same financial goals, but I believe we all do have a choice. Yours is simply different than mine.

That sounds like us also. We haven't made a lot of money in our lives but we live simply. Our houses and cars were paid off before we turned 40. Since I was willing to work during school and start at a Community College I didn't have to use our savings. I would not have gone back to school if I had to take out loans. We all make our own individual choices and like you said some are just different than others.

[Hazel11]

When it comes to my situation, I will be going for my first college degree. I don't have a full time job with a previous degree to support myself through nursing school, so I didn't have much of a choice but to take out some loans. I will be in a great BSN program at a private college and I got into it right away and thankfully don't have to be put on a waiting list for a few years. I did get scholarships and grants, but my family isn't paying for the rest of my education because they have bills to pay for. (Even if I went to a cc, I'd still have to pay for it myself.) That's how they are doing it with all three of us kids. Luckily, I will be able to have tuition reimbursement at my local hospitals, which helps a lot. Just wanted to give my 2 cents, and I think it just depends on where you are in life and what you have to live by.

[Blove86]

Im scared to even tally up how much money I will owe once I graduate. I have been in college 4 years and two more to go. I wish I knew I wanted to do Nursing when I first came into college I could have shaved off two years of college, but oh well. I am looking into government programs and hospitals that have loan forgiveness as well graduate tuition assistance!!

[RhodyGirl-SN]

Originally Posted by Blove86

Im scared to even tally up how much money I will owe once I graduate. I have been in college 4 years and two more to go. I wish I knew I wanted to do Nursing when I first came into college I could have shaved off two years of college, but oh well. I am looking into government programs and hospitals that have loan forgiveness as well graduate tuition assistance!!

I started out with a different major too. No worries....at least you know you've made the right choice now!

[mntgrl]

I surely do feel blessed. I work full time and go to school nights and weekends. So far I have been able to pay for 2 years of prereqs out of pocket. I am starting a two year hospital based diploma program in Aug of 08 and they have a yearly fee that students pay of about 1000+ a kit costing 200 and books and uniforms cost another 500. I have been able to work those off, they let you pay the l000 over a 3 month period. For the tuition it is 9000 a year but if you work for them for 2 years you owe them nothing. Even if you don't work for them, they then will give you a no interest loan in order to pay it back. I plan on working for the hospital when I am done. It has been voted one of the best places to work in my area in 2007, so I am sure I can stick it out. They also offer tuition reimbursement with programs on site, I plan to continue to with my education as far as I can, with out burning out. The worst it could be is about 18k or hopefully if everything goes as planned this is the one time that I would be really happy to have a ZERO!

[Hischild777]

Pumpkin head, I am right there with you. I wish there was some other way besides getting al these loans!

[Gravysgal]

I'm right with you too Pumpkin Head,

Life throws you curve balls,
I was working full time, hubby and I have a mortgage,
2 car payments, and I was 8 months preggo when the
company I worked for "downsized" and guess who one of the
lucky victims was? LOL

So needless to say I'm up to my eyeballs in loans, but hey
it will all be worth it in the end when I'm working and able to
provide for my family.

[JenM]

I'm not exactly sure, but I know that it cost me almost $20,000 for my pre-req's and about $20,000 for the nursing program itself. But Ihave been in school for almost 11 years, so those loans include other classes.