Am I really too poor to be a nurse?

Nursing Students School Programs

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Hi everyone

I'm new to allnurses and happy to have found this forum. I'm a little embarrassed to ask this question but it's really set me back. I've been a pre nursing student for 5 years. I have 6 children and worked full time as a single parent. I finally got accepted for 2016. I get financial aid for tuition but it's all the extra fees I didn't expect. Costs for admission, clearances, health screens, uniforms and now $800 for books. I applied for a scholarship but didn't win. I asked the director for help or suggestions but she had nothing to offer. I can't be the only student struggling. Or am i? I'm wondering if anyone can suggest anything to help. I'm very frustrated, I'm trying to make my life better for my children, do the right thing but it doesn't feel like this school cares.

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Specializes in Medical-Surgical/Float Pool/Stepdown.

Please first answer if you are going to a costly 4 year university or a cheaper accredited 2 year community college.

P.S. No judgement here, been there and done that, but we need to know a bit more about your situation before offering help

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One of the better ways to get around the cost of books is to look around the school, (the bulletin boards), for ads from students who want to sell their texts. Or rent them. Or get together with other students on a "group" text where everyone pitches in. Online access can also be worked around. Or, you could find this to be helpful: Find out the names, authors, ISBN numbers of required texts. Go to a major library and do an interlibrary request for the book. Libraries often have circulating copies of texts, especially older ones. You can go in with a buddy on this scheme too. You check it out for three or four weeks, meanwhile they have a request in for the next three or four weeks. Textbook availability for free or near free if the library has a charge for the request.

The above ideas are some of the ways people figure out to save money. You can research many other ways to save money. Get together with other students in similar circumstances and brainstorm ways to save. Good luck.

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It's a 2 year.

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Thank you for your response. Those are all really good ideas. I'm going to look into the books at the library.

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Specializes in Medical-Surgical/Float Pool/Stepdown.

Often at your local unemployment office there will be a section dedicated to helping people with specific areas of college like nursing. Check out your local Adult Ed too. I was able to go through a program, that was not widely known about, that helped pay for books and clinical supplies (school scrubs, stethoscope, watch, shoes, etc) and also get money for driving back and forth to clinical sites. This was a program reviewing federal grants to increase our nurses.

Also check out cheggs.com, halfpricebooks.com, even Barnes and nobles to get cheap or just recant books like the PP suggested. (I just can't see what they wrote while I'm typing right now)

Another suggestion would be to get a job at a healthcare facility that you would like to work for after you graduate that offers tuition assistance. Other than working full time, going to school full time, and raising a family full time, and taking out loans, this is what I did to stay afloat during my associates. Good luck!

And you did do your FASFA right!?!

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Many of us are low income and we get grants, and have to take out loans just like many people do to get by these days. Most people can't afford the cost of a professional program like Nursing School, Med School or Law School. This is why most of Americans are in massive student debt. If you are opposed to student loans, your only option is to move to Canada where education is FREE for all! ( that is what my brother did.)

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Specializes in School Nursing, Home Health.

Hi,

I graduated last year, and one of my classmates had 4 kids and a working husband. She didn't work, she took a good amount of loans and is now happily paying them off. You sacrifice WILL be worth it, so if you need to get in a bit of debt (since you are in a 2-year) do it! So worth it. I suggest looking into, and getting into special programs in your college. Where I went, they had book waivers and all sort of stuff for either minority, low-income or working adults.

Good luck on your journey!

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Thank you. I am encouraged by stories like yours. I am not opposed to debt in fact I have taken every and any loans available to me. They just don't get dispursed until after school starts. I really have no means to buy books or uniforms. I will keep searching though. Nothing is going to crush my dream. I'll get through this! Thank you for your kind words.

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Thank you. I am encouraged by stories like yours. I am not opposed to debt in fact I have taken every and any loans available to me. They just don't get dispursed until after school starts. I really have no means to buy books or uniforms. I will keep searching though. Nothing is going to crush my dream. I'll get through this! Thank you for your kind words.

I had to do some extreme stuff to make nursing school happen, including having my younger brother co-sign a private loan for me which is something I would never have considered doing before all of this. I had a yard sale, sold off all my expensive bags, sold stuff on Craig's List and I'm moving! My boyfriend and I are giving up our apartment and moving into the in-law suite of one of his family memeber's home for a $400 a month less than what we are paying now. He and I are making many sacrifices so I can get through the last 2 years of school. I keep reminding him it will be worth it and before we know it I will be working full time again. It's been a crazy journey but we worked together an figured it out. I also got a scholarship this year and feel really lucky. Apply for as many scholarships as you can every single year! If I can do it so can you, I promise, you have to commit and get creative with living expenses. I use my brother's Netflix account and Amazon Prime account for whatever I need. It takes a village, use whatever resources you have to make it through. Good luck! You got this!

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Could you get a job at a hospital and then have them pay your tuition? I know many people who have to do it that way also. In Philly many of the larger hospitals will pay for their CNA's and Medical Assistants to go to nursing school. Find the BEST employer in your area, and make it a serious goal to gain employment there and reap the benefits of employment. UPenn and CHOP and Jeff all offer those types of benefits to their employees. Network..network...network, tell everyone you know you are trying to get a job at that particular hospital and ask people if they know of any openings or know anyone with a connection to management to put a good word in for you. I was always afraid to network until I saw it work for people. Sometimes it's all about who you know!

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And to be clear, I only had someone co-sign a private loan for me 1 year out of the 4 years I will be going. I had to scrape by every other year. For this year My scholarship won't kick in until November and I had to max out all my credit cards to afford my books an another stethoscope. I was lucky that my school didn't force me to pay tuition on time, they are putting my account on hold until November. Other girls were forced to find the money to pay upfront. It's even challenging when you get scholarships! Nothing is easy or cheap as far as education in this country. It's extremely difficult for so many to pull off. I am in my mid 30's and had to put it off so many times in order to put food on the table. Don't give up hope!

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