how do you afford to live while in school?

[gordonarkell]

am starting (at 45yrs old) nursing prereq's. Plan to drop my dead-end, full time job when I get into full-time nurse school. I have to totally support myself. I have a good amount of savings and wonder how anyone can support themselves on financial aid/loans/grants/whatever while getting through school. THe only thing I really worry about is being able to live (pay rent, bills, food) while in school. THe school part is actually not a problem financially.

I am going to need help paying for living expenses. Can "financial aid" pay for it all without much ordeal? Will that be my one big stumbling block?

This is my huge question and appreciate all wisdom.

Thank you.

[NurseLatteDNP, MSN, DNP, RN]

My poor husband is working a lot of overtime every day to pay for all of the bills. I only cut work down to weekends to pay for the car payment. It is very hard on us, but it is something we have to do for another year.(and we have sold the second car too)

[RussA, BSN, RN]

I had classmates work 2-3 days/evening while they were attending Nsg School. You just have to do - whatever it takes to get through the process.

I was fortunate to have the GI Bill like Kurosawa/E-man. Tuition/Book expense wasn't much, just the cost of living. Fortunately, there was some extra money from the GI Bill to live off on.

Just got my RN License, but I plan to continue my education, since I have another year left on my GI Bill.

Good Luck in Nursing Schoool.

[HitmanCFYA]

I've worked full time all the way through so far. Just 1 semester to go. I've got a part time job also to make a little more dough to help build up my savings more because I'm building a house next Spring.

My boss has been pretty cool, and lets me leave work to go to class, and then come back. I've had all night clinicals except for a few exceptions where I took vacation days.

[ms mimi]

i get grants,loans, and scholarships and i dont work at all. i go to a community college so tuition is less than half the price of a university, which means that more money comes back to me instead of going for tuition. go to the school of your choice and check out the financial aide dept, set up an appt. they will tell you what you need to do to apply for financial aide or google FAFSA, you can apply online for financial aide. depending on your income the government will decide if you can get grants and loans. loans you pay back after graduating, and depending on the loan you have to pay interest. if your GPA is high you can also apply for private scholarships. there are specialty scholarships, like for instance for people making a career change, or single parents, things like that. just google "scholarships". if you keep your living costs down and live "simply" (i dont have a cell phone or cable) than you can live off loans and grants. my friend has one more semester of nursing school and she has two kids and a husband and they make it on her financial aide. just really do your research, first go to the financial aide office at your school. good luck!

[Roy Fokker, BSN, RN]

Father payed tutioton.

Worked 2 jobs to pay everything else - from rent, groceries, insurance, car, gas (and auto insurance :uhoh21:) and everything else you can think off.

Been sleeping about 4 hours a night the past 2 years.

Nothing much compared to what you folks with a family have to go through with I guess!

Y'all with kids? Got my hat off!

[traumahawk99]

i starved balls through medic school. worked as a medic for a few months while i did the excelsior program, then took out a loan on my home so i could remodel my rental house while i studied for cpne.

no doubt, it's tough. you've got nothing coming in, and a lot of extra energy and money flowing out.

[AznMurse]

I am in an ADN night program for students who are employed full time. 95% of us are career changers. 90% have their prior degrees. about 20% have kids. I work full time and have a year left of nursing school (med-surg1, 2 and peds) I worked full time while i took all the pre-reqs in one semester (first sem! i got so excited I rushed) I sweat blood but managed to pull off a 3.91 and got in the program. Currently done with 1st year and enjoyin a very short summer break before I start a paid summer externship position at 12 hr/shift 3x a wekk while I keep my full time 9-5. It has not been very easy and I think most would think that it goes without saying but It can be done! I study a lot on the train commuting to work and back home. I am a little nervous about med-surg but I have no choice of quitting my job otherwise I would end up at the local homeless shelter having to wake up really early to get to the soup kitchen!!!