How did/do you pay for nursing school?

[Joe V]

Nursing school is expensive. Many people have used student loans, scholarships, VA loans, grants, and even worked through school to pay for their education. The main reason for this thread is to provide information for people who can't afford the rising costs of nursing school. Many people aren't aware of the resources that are available. You don't have to give specifics but it would be great to see how people are paying for school. Please share how you paid for nursing school. Give any links or resources that you may have. Click Like if you enjoyed it. Please share this with friends and post your comments below!

[saramisu]

I am using student loans. I am in an ADN program, so it is comparatively reasonable to the tens of thousands I owe for my BS in Sociology. I paid for all of my pre reqs out of pocket while working full-time to lessen the blow.

[chuckster, ADN, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

Associates degree at CC - $7,500

RN-BSN program on-line - $8,250

Total cost => $15,750

Done on an evening/weekend basis while working - paying out of pocket was relatively painless.

[redhead_NURSE98!, ADN, BSN]

Husband went to Iraq for 6 months...that and his other 6 months of active duty qualified him for post 9/11 GI bill and he transferred it to me, which paid for most of it. The rest I paid by externing and working part time for my old law office. It felt great to come out debt free instead of with 65K of loans from law school.

[Wrench Party]

Worked full time while taking pre-reqs, posted a 4.0 GPA to apply to nursing school, then flipped to working half time

while in school full time. Used that pretty GPA to get scholarships, I only work now to cover living expenses and bills.

I don't owe anyone any money. What a great feeling!

[ksuheather]

My awesome hubby is transferring his post 9-11 GI Bill to me for nursing school.

[PMFB-RN, RN]

ADN more than paid for by GI Bill. BSN 100% paid for by my employer. I have never spend a dime of my own for school. I can't imagine doing so.

[lemmyg]

how did you find time to study!? and projects, papers and clinical assignments!? I was working weekends but now barely can do that because I am so busy. Most of my classmates all quit their jobs and are all on loans now. I thought I could get scholarships because I have always been an A student. But in my program you need 90% for an A, 70% to pass...sign. You are an Idol.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

But in my program you need 90% for an A, 70% to pass...sign.

In my program 94% was an 'A' grade, 85% was a 'B' and 77% was a 'C.' Anything less than 77% was considered a failing grade.

Therefore, my former classmates and I would have loved a 90-80-70% grading scale because it would have saved many students from flunking out of school.

[citylights89, BSN, RN]

$26k in student right here!

Holla!

/sarcasm

[manisha03]

i feel spoiled but my parents are paying!

[Streamline2010]

Lost my career after a corporate buyout and subsequent closure of manufacturing facilities and elimination of the corporate engineering and research and development departments. Because it was a job loss due to foreign competition, we all received Trade Act Assistance. That paid for up to 24 months of school, all books, tuition and suppiles except computers, and there was an extended unemployment benefit that went with that, as well.

Trade Act Program: TAA for Workers, Employment & Training Administration (ETA) - U.S. Department of Labor

Unfortunately, I chose a diploma school with a funky "integrated" curriculum that totally didn't mesh with my very systematic "block" style of learning. I completed one year of the school before I bailed out. But the TRA/TAA funding is one training, one time, and not transferable, so I lost that when I quit. I knew I was at the wrong school before the first term was up, but I had to either continue there or lose the funding, so I soldered on for a year. To use TRA/TAA, you must be a full-time student and the school must be on the approved Trade Act provider list, and the training can't take more than 24 months. I was pretty much stuck with that diploma school because it was the only thing that met all 3 requirements. Associate degree college courses were out, because I have too many transfer credits to ever be full time there. It was a very depressing and discouraging experience, but at least I have no debts from it. And if I choose to try RN or LPN at some later date, that weird integrated curriculum gave me probably as much background as ADRNs have covered in 1.5 year, which would make a second try much easier than the first trip around. Before I picked RN, I did a lot of research and I interviewed nurses, and I job-shadowed, and looked at RT and LPN and med lab tech as well as some of the PT and OT tech programs. I felt that RN was something I really wanted to do, and I was really pumped up and had great grades in my prereqs, and I know I have no problems learning. I was just totally miserable at that diploma school. I didn't just take free handout money and go goof off. I was literally defeated by that program, and I have never failed at anything in my life, especially not academics. Nursing was vastly different, though.

[Streamline2010]

Some of the other students got their CNAs and worked weekends as CNA and went to RN school during the week.