New Student Help????

cn2007rn · Apr 22, 2005

Hi,

First off, congrats on your acceptance!!!

I have just started looking into financial aid because I was also accepted for fall.

You have to start here: http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/

Fill out this information, they will give you a report as to what you qualify for, if you don't qualify for any aid, you will be able to apply for loans with the information in the report. Most of the good student loans with good interest rates will require that you fill out a FAFSA.

Aid also varies by state, so you might want to do some searching on the internet. Also search for nursing schlorships, due to the nursing shortage there seems to be a lot of money out there for students.

Good luck!!! :)

Hope this helps!

StarNurse2006 · Apr 22, 2005

Hi there,

Looks like we are in pretty much the same situation, I am also a single Mom of 2, going for my LPN in August at a vocational school, with a total cost of about $21,000. I also have a AA in Business Administration (well, as of Saturday, when I graduate!) and so I've done the whole financial aid thing a few times!

Definitely do the FAFSA, it is the only way to get federal financial aid, and as a single parent you most definitely qualify for the Pell Grant, which does not have to be repaid and will give you around $2000 a semester (give or take). There might also be financial aid specific to your state. Also, apply for scholarships. http://www.fastweb.com is a good site to search for scholarships.

The best advice I got when I was trying to figure out how to afford school was - USE STUDENT LOANS! They have very low interest, are not credit-based, and you don't have to make payments until 6 months after you graduate (unless you continue your schooling, in which case you can continue to defer payments). Not only that, but many hospitals will repay your student loans for you.

Also, ask your school if they offer any type of financing. I personally am using a combination of student loans, the Pell Grant, and interest free (5 year term) loans from my school. After all is said and done, I will probably have $10,000 in school debt when I am done, but I know I am guaranteed a job almost anywhere, and so it doesn't bother me at all!

Your school probably has a financial aid counselor - use them to get the options and answers you need! Good luck deciding on financing, and good luck with school too!

Jennee

tlbspn · Apr 25, 2005

Congrads on getting accepted ... There are Single parent Scholarships you can get and I don't know if there are Fred's stores in your area but there is a scholarship through them called the second chance scholarship. Good luck with school..