Hey guys....How do you all support yourselves?

1. Montgomery GI Bill
2. WIA Act that pays for ALL my school expenses, including parking and gas. Automatically qualified as a veteran.
3. Retirement (or transfer to the fleet reserve) from the Navy
4. Work Study Program through the VA. It pays only minimum wage, but its tax-free, so it's worth more.
5. Savings

I would look into hospitals for some sort of part-time job within the field. I know in NY some hospitals are extremely flexible especially if you are attending nursing school. And the bonus with that is your gain skills and confident in the hospital and field as you are going through the program

I'm lucky in the fact that my wife of 35 years who I put through nursing school 30 years ago is now paying for me to finish school. Good luck see if you can get a job as a CNA on the graveyard shift you can study at the same time your working you make rounds every 2 hours or so. Dave5000

Glad to see you are thinking of nursing school. I just finished my first semester. I do have to work to support myself and I was able to go for a fulltime mgmt. position to a partime hourly position (half of my salary!) where i work thur, fri, and sat. I'm able to have all my classes on one day, and the other two days are clinical, leaving me with Sunday off. Explore your options, hopefully something will work. Are you will or able to use any savings, 401's , etc?

*** My wife is a stay at home mom and was when I went to nursing school from Aug 2005 till I graduated in May 2006. I worked full time night shifts as an LPN the whole time I was in nursing school to support my family and the GI Bill more that covered the cost of my ADN program.

Some nights yes, some nights no. Always bring your books with you but don't always expect to have time to crack them open.

I work full time nights (off every other weekend) and I'm taking evening pre-reqs. It's pretty much hard as hell right now because I never spend much time with my wife and kid but I know it will all pay off in the end.

To make a long story short, when I decided to go back to school for nursing, I had to move back in with my parents. There's no other way that I think I could really afford to do it.

I am single and have no kids, so that's kind of made this option more feasible.

During the year and a half that I did all of my pre and co-reqs, I worked full time as a transporter at a local hospital. I was able to save up a lot of money during that time, living at home. Now that I am in the nursing program, I only work PRN/on-call on the weekends for other employees who call out; I also work as much as I can during the holidays.

Although I'm not pursuing it (for other reasons), the hospital I work at will pay 100% or up to (I think) $2500 per year of your tuition - whichever figure is the cheapest, provided that you are employed on at least a part time status (24+ hours/week).

My parents have helped me out a little along the way, so I have been most fortunate (and grateful) in that regard.

I worked 60 plus hrs a week and took prereqs. I worked this schedule for 5 years and saved my money. It was exhausting. I was too tired to spend money even if I wanted to. I lived very frugally and made sure i was debt free. I now work one day a week as an LNA and live off my savings. Tomorrow is my final for 3rd semester out of 4 ADN program. One more semester and my 7 plus years of having no life will end. MAy 10, 2008 is coming!!!!!

I gotta give it to some of you!!! Especially those with childre.....don't know how you do it! I work Fri-Mon evenings even some 12 hr days to make 40 as a tech on a med/surg flr. I am cutting hours and picking up bonuses to fill hours if I need. It is hard and I sleep from noon when class is out till 1430 when I start work then at night 5-6 hr. I downsized quite a bit though. I live in a travel trailer about 1 mi from school and no more than 5 from work and any clinical. It sucks, but it's temporary. I am also single so that makes it a bit easier.

Coast Guard Tuition Assistance pays for tuition...100%
Montgomery GI Bill...helps with daily expenses
Coast Guard Reserve Pay...pays for medical insurance for the family.
Just took $7000 student loan to get us through the rest of school.
And then there is my loving wife...who makes just enough money that we can make ends meet.

Can't wait to graduate and make some MONEY!!!

akspudus