Nurse Candidate Program or ROTC or Loan Repayment

Specialties Government

Published

Hi All:

I'm looking to start nursing school next year but in the meantime I'm trying to figure out what is going to be the best way for me to have the military pay for my schooling. I already have a BS in Marketing and I have decided that Corporate America just isn't working out for me. I want to join the AF as a nurse after I finish nursing school. However...I am open to other branches of the military as well. I am hoping to attend Emory which cost about $40K per year. Its a 3 year program that would allow me to finish as a NP. So thats about $120K! Which neither the nurse candidate program or ROTC would cover that full cost. And with the loan repayment program they tax it so much that I would still have over $30K of loans left after the repayment. Then I even looked into the HPSP but I was told they only cover the Master's portion. So bascially they would only cover my final year of the program ($40K). Which would still leave me with the remaining $80K. Can any of these programs be combined? Please help me figure out what would be the best option for me to finance nursing school.

And...I know there are other nursing programs that don't cost nearly as much. I found one that cost like $10K for the entire program. But I would only be able to finish with a BSN and not an MSN. If I can't find a way to finance Emory then I will most likely take that option but I wanted to at least see if there was a way to pay for schooling at Emory first before I eliminated them as an option.

Thanks for your help!

You also have Mercer and Georgia State there as well.

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The Air Force has scholarships for graduate nurses that pay for your graduate school. It involves a minimum commitment of 3 years, but other than that it is a year for year deal. You give them a year, they get a year. It is all on their website, I found it looking for a way to pay for my BSN.

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But that's once you're in and serving as an RN (that's how I plan on doing it); the OP was looking for a way to have them pay up front. My guess is in this economy that no longer exists.

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No that is not true. If you are in a graduate program, the air force will have you drill as an officer in the reserves because you already have your bachelor's degree.

"Health Professions Scholarship Program

The Air Force offers scholarships for Healthcare professionals to include: one-and two-year for Biomedical Science Corps specialties (Pharmacists, Optometrists, Clinical Psychologists, and Public Health Officers), two- and three-year for Nurse Corps specialties, and three- and four-year for Medical Corps and Dental Corps. This scholarship covers all tuition and required fees, including textbooks, small equipment items and supplies needed for study. You will also receive a monthly allowance of approximately $1,992 for living expenses. While on scholarship you will spend 45 days on active duty in the Air Force, and once you graduate you will serve active duty (one year for each year of scholarship, with a minimum of three years)."

That was taken directly from their web site. You can look it up if you would like to.

Healthcare Education - Opportunities in the U.S. Air Force - AirForce.com

It is only if you are in a master's field. You can talk to a recruiter as well.

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This reply wasn't for the poster, it is more for people like me that are doing research and come across these postings. I realize that this thread was started almost a year ago.

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No that is not true. If you are in a graduate program, the air force will have you drill as an officer in the reserves because you already have your bachelor's degree.

"Health Professions Scholarship Program

The Air Force offers scholarships for Healthcare professionals to include: one-and two-year for Biomedical Science Corps specialties (Pharmacists, Optometrists, Clinical Psychologists, and Public Health Officers), two- and three-year for Nurse Corps specialties, and three- and four-year for Medical Corps and Dental Corps. This scholarship covers all tuition and required fees, including textbooks, small equipment items and supplies needed for study. You will also receive a monthly allowance of approximately $1,992 for living expenses. While on scholarship you will spend 45 days on active duty in the Air Force, and once you graduate you will serve active duty (one year for each year of scholarship, with a minimum of three years)."

That was taken directly from their web site. You can look it up if you would like to.

Healthcare Education - Opportunities in the U.S. Air Force - AirForce.com

It is only if you are in a master's field. You can talk to a recruiter as well.

What I was talking about was AFIT where you're sent back to school; I went to COT with people who got Medical Corps and MSC scholarships and am familiar wih them. The OP was talking about a direct entry master of NURSING program (where you bypass a BSN) which the Air Force will not pay up front for. The MSC, dental, and medical stuff is different and IS paid up front if you qualify.

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I'm on my iPhone and may have typos - I'll say that as of right now they won't pay for direct entries - which isn't the same as the above referenced scholarship opportunity.

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Specializes in Anesthesia.

Here the brochure link for HPSP. The number to call for questions about HPSP is at the bottom. http://www.airforce.com/pdf/hpsp_scholarship.pdf

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Been lookin' for you! How are things? How's Alaska?

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Specializes in Anesthesia.
Been lookin' for you! How are things? How's Alaska?

Finally, hit 70 degrees here today. Feels like a freakin heat wave....lol. I just went walking around outside and I am sweating. I think I have finally acclimatized! Having fun here for the most part. I finish up 13 days of call for this month with a 4 day stretch starting tomorrow, and then I have 10 days of call next month. Dawn is around 0300 and dusk is about MN right now. I have woke up several times thinking I have over slept just only to find out it is 0300-0330 in the morning...:uhoh3: Lots of Moose out right now. They seem to be more active now that it is warmer. I haven't seen any bears yet, but I know there out. Several of my coworkers have already spotted black and brown bears.

Work has been work....I had 4 liter blood loss a couple of weeks ago from exp lap for GI bleed, and the guy only started with H&H of 7/21. Alaska doesn't carry but 1 or 2 six packs of platelets for the whole state, and it isn't at Elmendorf. Like every other small hospital Elmendorf isn't used to doing large transfusions. It took me over 30 minutes to get PRBCs that were already typed and crossed. I was doing anesthesia for procedure and the patient got a bunch of subcutaneous air in their chest, neck, and face. He had to stay intubated for awhile until the swelling went down, but was otherwise okay. All this and I qualify for less of bonus than when I was an ICU nurse:lol2: It is good thing the AF payed for my Master's degree. On the bright side I am looking into going diving in the Gulf of Alaska sometime this summer. How is Texas/San Antonio treating you?

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Specializes in Pediatrics.
What I was talking about was AFIT where you're sent back to school; I went to COT with people who got Medical Corps and MSC scholarships and am familiar wih them. The OP was talking about a direct entry master of NURSING program (where you bypass a BSN) which the Air Force will not pay up front for. The MSC, dental, and medical stuff is different and IS paid up front if you qualify.

Hi Everyone...

Just to clarify a few things. The program that I was referring to at Emory doesn't bypass the BSN. The BSN is accelerated and you complete it in 1 year then you move directly into your MSN for 1-2 years depending on your specialty.

My recruiter has verified that this type of program would qualify for the Nursing HPSP as long as the applicant has a prior BS degree. That way if they don't finish the program they can still satisfy their obligation to the military as an officer.

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That's good news for you, then. If they'll do that, that's actually a great opportunity education-wise. Knock it out up front.

BUT - I would get verification as to where they'll place you once you're in. It may be that the Air Force will not place you as an MSN level RN (i.e., as an NP) without any experience, since with less than six months' nursing experience you have to go to NTP. If your goal is to work in a clinic, I don't know if the AF would do that right off the bat, even with the MSN, without experience. I'd check that. Let us know what you find out.

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