I AM TERRIFIED

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I am so excited to start nursing school in may, but I just found out I do not get any government aid due to my father making too much money, and due to the fact that I am not yet 23. Hello, my father doesn't help me pay for ANYTHING!!???

So I am terrified that I will have to get a student loan. I know I will have to, I make $13 an hr!!! My school is going to be around 20-30k for my BSN.

Does anyone have any thoughts, suggestions, words of wisdom?

If I do have to get a loan, which is the best one?

Thanks!!

Specializes in inerested in school nursing, peds, OR.

:) Don't die wondering. Go find out. Good luck!

I am right now!!

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Sorry, it was a long time ago, but I think I talked with the school's financial aid office. Good Luck!

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There has to be some kind of appeal or contingency where students can have their aid based on their personal income. I remember my husband going through this when he told his father he couldn't claim him as a dependent anymore. eta: We were married, (and my husband didn't tell his family we had gotten married... long story) so he was an independant student.

I looked it up. It's called "denendency status override", and it sounds like you may be in trouble. This website spells it out, and says that the federal gov't states that it is the familiy's responsibility to pay for college. Their unwillingness to help you doesn't automatically make you independant.

http://www.finaid.org/otheraid/parentsrefuse.phtml#independent

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This is just from memory, but I thought there was some rule that you had to be financially separated from your parents for 2 years, get married, or turn 23. Its great to be an old fart. You get all kinds of help. Check out WIA grants too. You are right on the dividing line for those at $13hr. Its $11.32hr here, but this is super poor Oklahoma.

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Specializes in Forensic Psych.

When you apply for financial aid, you're either considered dependent or independent. Dependent means you're under a certain age, unmarried, and childless, so your parent's income will be counted. If it didn't work like that, every parent could simply say they aren't paying for college (whether they could or not) and taxpayers would somehow have to foot the bill for grants for every single young person's tuition. Obviously that can't happen. Parent's need to take some sort of responsibility for their child's education if they can or be aware that there may be NO education.

The downside is obviously in cases like this where parents flat out refuse to help, regardless of the consequences.

You can definitely appeal. They do make exceptions for cases like outright abandonment and things like that, but I haven't seen much success.

The good news is there are still scholarships and loans, and your program isn't horribly expensive, so you should be able to cover the tuition with federal loans.

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Congratulations on getting into school! Try to economize during school by buying used books uniforms, and supplies. Work more on your breaks. If you must get loans, try to get by on just the government ones offered through the fafsa form. Even if your parents make too much, you could still qualify for non-subsidized loans (not ideal but better than private sector loans). Try NOT to get private student loans.[/quote']

I am kind of stealing her post with this question but why no private student loans? I have a BA and plan to go to a CC to get my ADN and I don't qualify for government student loans : / The schools I am applying to say private student loans and scholarships are my only option.

I am saving as much as I possibly can and I have enough money to pay for school but I will need help with living expenses...help!

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Specializes in inerested in school nursing, peds, OR.

My dad is the kind of dad who thinks everyone should work for what they get and now that I work, and am an adult, I should have to pay for my own stuff, school as well. :(

I don't necessarily disagree with him (except for the school part), but regardless if I'm 23 or not, I am independent wether FAFSA sees me that way or not.

Oh well, it is what it is i guess. I am still going to look into some kind of appeal, and I will apply for as many grants as I can. Thank you all!!

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Specializes in Med/Surg, OB/GYN, Informatics, Simulation.

I believe your actually considered a dependent until 24. Talk to your aid office, you can't do this through the FAFSA website. I talked to my school since I had a similar situation (under 24, not living at home, non contributory parents) and I was able to get an independet status. I had to fill out paper work and prove they didn't support my income. Basically all this does however is give you slightly more federal loans. In the end you will most likely need some private or Parent Plus loans to cover the difference.

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Specializes in inerested in school nursing, peds, OR.
I believe your actually considered a dependent until 24. Talk to your aid office you can't do this through the FAFSA website. I talked to my school since I had a similar situation (under 24, not living at home, non contributory parents) and I was able to get an independet status. I had to fill out paper work and prove they didn't support my income. Basically all this does however is give you slightly more federal loans. In the end you will most likely need some private or Parent Plus loans to cover the difference.[/quote']

Awesome ugggg

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@cjr2619: private student loans are usually easier to get, but the terms of the loan are not as good as government loans. It is easy to get caught up in the borrowing cycle to put yourself through school, but jobs are not as readily available to new grads in this economy. I've spoken to many of my newer co-workers and they tell me horror stories about loan terms, higher interest rates, monthly payments that nearly total a paycheck! Many of the nurses have put off starting families and buying homes due to the enormous amount of student loan debt they have. I am not saying not to take a private student loan if that is your only option, just to look at other options first to pay for school and living expenses.

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Wow...only $20-30K for BSN? My loans are 30% federal loan programs and 60% private loans. My monthly payments (paying more than the amount due each month) are about $700 - which is about the same as my rent is. My interest rates are all under 3% even the private loans... My biweekly pay post taxes and benefits is almost enough to cover rent and loans in one check... So I don't feel like I'm too pressured.

I could have paid off a federal loan this past year, but I'm SO glad I didn't - I was off work for 4 weeks for emergency surgery and didn't have nearly enough PTO to cover it...I had saved money and had enough saved to pay my bills while off work. The way it hit with pay periods it affected two months I had to cover month one's rent utilities/groceries and loans, and then month two's rent utilities/groceries and loans plus gas money to cover two weeks worth of work (ugh...I had a 150 mile round trip commute for work at the time and gas was almost $4/gallon in my area at the time) before getting paid again. That's the only time I sweated my bills...

I worked three jobs in nursing school plus full time school, and was the primary caregiver for my terminally ill grandmother. Yeah. At one point I thought I may pull all my hair out during nursing school. As if that wasn't enough, I got a puppy during that time too...(my dog is awesome, it was just VERY difficult for a while). My junior and senior years I paid my summer tuition and interterm (6 week term between fall and winter quarters) tuition, year round housing, plus senior year study abroad out of pocket. That really helped me.

I would recommend buying books online where possible (used where possible)... I used half.com most terms, but Barnes and Noble can save you some serious money as a member (did that some terms too)... Our bookstore had a HUGE upcharge on books. But they did have exactly what the professors were using...

Also - to some of the posters who comment that new grads are struggling with loans? Most lenders will either "pro-rate" loan payments based on income and/or continue to defer payments if you cannot secure employment. There is paperwork to go along with this, but it can be done. I know for sure for federal loans, and some private loans will too.

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Specializes in inerested in school nursing, peds, OR.
@cjr2619: private student loans are usually easier to get but the terms of the loan are not as good as government loans. It is easy to get caught up in the borrowing cycle to put yourself through school, but jobs are not as readily available to new grads in this economy. I've spoken to many of my newer co-workers and they tell me horror stories about loan terms, higher interest rates, monthly payments that nearly total a paycheck! Many of the nurses have put off starting families and buying homes due to the enormous amount of student loan debt they have. I am not saying not to take a private student loan if that is your only option, just to look at other options first to pay for school and living expenses.[/quote']

Yes if my payment is terribly high I will not get a loan. Idk what I will do, but I'm not going to let my financial situation get out of control.

Hopefully I will get as many grants as possible, and only have to get a small loan. I will just have to live very frugally while going you school and keep my job. My car will be paid off by the time I start my nursing program so that's a plus!!!

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