A bit of a setback..maybe

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Hi,

I just turned 26 last month and I just finished my 1st semester of nursing school, I passed with a B.:) I'm currently enrolled in a private college so the tuition is a bit steep, just for the 1 nursing course it was about $9,000 and of course I have general ed courses to fulfill also. So currently after everything I owe about $6,000 before September (fall semester) gets here. I don't have the best credit so a private loan is out of the question, I have yet to find a successful cosigner, I do get tuition reimbursement at the hospital I work at but only 1,400 a year.

I live on my own and pay rent (no option to move in with parents and moving into a roommate situation wouldn't be much cheaper), car payment, insurance etc ...I work as a PCA in a well known teaching hospital and have been here for 2 years. So I started picking up extra hours but that hasn't really put a dent in the balance I owe. I already exhausted all student aid options for the semester (loans). So I'm currently applying for the Nurse Corps Scholarship in hopes that I can get a break and other scholarships too.

I'm just wondering if anyone else is having financial issues in nursing school and what did you do to make it work? The last thing I want is to be held back a semester because I owe a balance. :unsure:

(It's an ADN program with the option to bridge, so my set graduation date is August 2015 for my associates in nursing)

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

Wow....$9,000.00 for one semester. My daughters tuition is that for the whole year. I assume you applied to FAFSA already....have you spoken to financial aid?

Your profile says MA here is a list of resources from the MNA...Massachusetts Nurses Association - Nursing Resources - Career Services - Financial Aid Resources

https://www.scholarships.com/financial-aid/college-scholarships/scholarships-by-state/massachusetts-scholarships/

Johnson & Johnson Find Your Scholarship | Johnson & Johnson Discover Nursing

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Yes I've applied to Fafsa that is where my student loans come from, due to EFC I'm not eligible for grants just loans. Yes, I've talked to financial aid and I was eligible for the Pell Grant and Nursing Student loan totaling $6,000 so that helps out a lot. Technically you are eligible for both loans per semester so I asked to be on the waiting list again but the person in charge of financial aid says it based off funding and if its available.

But thank you for the links, I will check them out to see if I can apply.

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Sorry to say... but if your EFC is higher than 0$, I really wouldn't expect anything from nurse corps :(

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Specializes in Cardiac/Tele.

And I would highly, highly recommend seeing if you can take your general ed requirements at a community college and have them transfer. I'm doing that with my nursing program -- I took my general ed courses at the local community college for less than half the cost of my nursing school's courses, and now the only courses I need are the nursing ones. Ask your registrar who they'll accept credits from -- many courses can even be online or done during your summer breaks.

Good luck to you!!

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Ohh:unsure:

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Thanks @datalore, I will look into that I have 4 left so that would be a huge money saver if I can take them at a community college.

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Hey @mag426 when you started the nursing program how many Prereqs courses did you have left to complete? I have 4 classes that I need to complete, just curious in knowing if I would be able to start.

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Hey @mag426 when you started the nursing program how many Prereqs courses did you have left to complete? I have 4 classes that I need to complete, just curious in knowing if I would be able to start.

@roundbrown26 I had 6 left to complete when I started the actual nursing class in January now I have 4 left. I took two along with the nursing class.

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