Financial aid at community colleges as second degree student

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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I am finding it impossible to get aid at my school (Valencia community college in Orlando, fl) I am currently doing prereqs there and I called today because I was denied for federal aid and also for their foundations scholarships. I don't understand the scholarships because they are awarded, how can they deny me just because I am a second degree? I asked her if it was going to be the same thing when I enter nursing school, obviously it's thousands of dollars more and she said probably. So I asked how do students pay for school if obviously they can't work? She had no answer. I am planning on applying to a community college for nursing and I am scared it will be this way everywhere. How am I suppposed to pay for college as a second degree student? My past is haunting me because I picked a failing field. My Bachelor's was paid out of pocket by my parents but my masters was thru loans which will never get paid off unless I can go to school for something else. Their whole thing is they are a "junior college" and I have more than 90 credit hours and not a new student. Someone please help! What can I do? And pleas don't say fast web because that website is a joke.

I just called my school and talked to the financial aid office, I asked the lady what my chances were and if it were typical for the school to grant an appeal for someone with a second degree and she said "Oh you'll be just fine! They normally always do an appeal if someone has a second degree!" lets hope that's true!

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I am working full time and taking pre-reqs part time. I pay for my classes out of pocket.

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Specializes in General Surgery.

As previous posters have said, try to apply for a Stafford loan. That's what I've done throughout my whole time in nursing school. I already have an AA and am over 90 units. I work as a CNA as well. My school allowed me to submit a Special Circumstance form saying that I still needed financial aid despite the fact that I work. I still get a Pell grant and I get a Stafford loan each semester and I would not have been able to get by without them. I'm here in California and they sure are making it more and more difficult to apply. More and more hoops to jump through but I get all my paperwork in order and submit it each time. My school lets you see online which forms you still need to submit so it's easier to keep track of what you still need.

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I have a prior Bachelor's degree and was able to petition for courses not counting toward my Nursing degree to not be counted. I was granted 95 additional hrs which I can get fed loans for. Pretty awesome

Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

Did you petition those courses through an advisor or through FAFSA?

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I'm in THE SAME BOAT and it sucks, I know. When I went to a community college straight out of high school the advisors say 'get your associate's degree!' but they don't mention that it will be harder to get aid later on -____- 4 year universities are more generous with aid in my area, probably because they're more expensive to attend? Have you checked out BSN programs? I know it seems pointless to work so hard for $10/hr or less and have the money make almost no dent in your tuition. In many cases I believe it's more beneficial to save more money rather than earn more money...having a strict budget helps me out, too. But, I made the most money being in food service...work somewhere with big tippers ; ) This semester I've applied for a private student loan. It is self certified and verified by the school, but the school cannot deny you for a private loan.

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Just an update for myself.. I got my maximum credits appeal approved. Good luck to the rest of you! It's possible.. I wrote a small letter with my appeal fyi.

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Specializes in PICU, Pediatrics.

I am in the same boat. I have a Bachelor's degree in Government and was on the way to entering law school until a few months of deep self-reflection recently turned my career interests towards nursing. Now, I am scrambling to enroll for the pre-req courses at a local community college but may run into a wall with the aid as well (due to the college's deadlines for including Fin Aid as payment for late registration), which may push back my ability to start the courses until January. :(.

In any case, as a second-degree student, you aren't typically eligible for typical FinAid pkgs, grants or institutional scholarships, especially if you are just taking one-off credits and opposed to entering a program. However, the government allows Federal Direct Loans and Federal Work-Study only, for students completing pre-req coursework for the sole purpose of qualifying for another degree-seeking program. (I think you have to get the schools that you're applying to to provide a letter to the pre-req school as proof of what you're doing). This aid can only be used for a maximum of 12 MONTHS, and only once in your lifetime, so you have to be sure to take the pre-reqs continuously and to pass them in that allotted time. This specific loan prog is a manual program though,(meaning the systems won't automatically recognize that this is what you are doing.), so the fin aid office at the school at which you are taking the pre-reqs has to apply for it FOR you.

Try asking the Fin Aid office about this option and see if it is available, because every school does not participate. (Junior colleges often have different guidelines than typical 4yr universities.) Hope this helps! I'm still researching options myself! I work full-time, but my bills make it almost impossible to pay for these courses in such a quick time frame, so I completely understand your frustrations. Best of luck!

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