I quit school 7 years ago during my junior year when my husband and I got pregnant with our first son. I decided to go back to school in 2016 to become a nurse. I chose Ivy Tech because my loans are in default (Oops).
Ivy Tech is very reasonable, so I'm going there because I can afford to pay out of pocket.
I am paying every month to get out of default and I will be out of default this August.
Anyway, I went to Ivy for a year and had a 4.0 GPA.
I applied to Valparaiso University last June to become a nurse. They wanted to take me for the Fall 2017 Accelerated BSN option, but I decided to stay at Ivy Tech for one more year to complete my non-nursing courses and avoid as much high cost as possible. I completed them and was accepted into Valparaiso University's Accelerated BSN option this Fall 2018 with a 3.8 GPA (Class of 2020).
I contacted my loan servicer and they sent a clearance letter to the University so that I could get my financial aid. In the mean time, I went to student orientation, got my student ID, registered for my nursing classes, and then completed all of the health forms background check, CPR...
I got an email last week from the financial aid office that I have been cleared, but I have reached my financial aid maximum and only have $2,000 left. That's it. I got the $20,000 a year transfer scholarship, making my bill $13,000 a semester. Financial aid said that my only option is private loans. I applied for them and was turned down. I have bad credit and have been a housewife for 7 years. I used co-signers with good credit and was still denied. I have been applying for scholarships also, but I'm not even sure if I'll get anything. I am out of options for Valpo. I think what angers me the most is that the loan servicer probably knew that I had no money left, but didn't care to even say so, otherwise I'd probably stay in default. Since my GPA is high I checked with Phi Theta Kappa and they give transfer students $3000 a year for Valpo, but I'd still have a $10,000 bill each semester.
Needless to say, I spent two years trying to get into a nursing program, and I can't even go. I am not trying to whine, but this was an enormous blow to me and my hard work and I am just devastated. I locked myself away and did not eat for 2 days. I'm ok now. I'm pretty much dragging my feet on telling my friends, family, and VU admissions that I'm not going. Financial aid office is like "whatever". Right now I'm trying Purdue, but we all know how competitive it is to even get into a school to be a nurse. Does anyone have any information about Purdue Northwest? How many applicants they get and how many they actually take? I know that they have a great program, but hard to get in. I have a meeting with Purdue next week. Fingers crossed it goes well.
That's great that your loans are almost out of default! Congrats on that hard work. Now your goal is to spend as little as possible for your RN. Stay at Ivy, get an ASN, then bridge to BSN later at one of the universities you want to attend now. Win win!
Another option is to go the cheap route to getting a CNA license (rather than the full $1200 weeks long training course, take a three day exam prep course ($250ish), challenge the exam ($250ish including background check), then work somewhere with tuition reimbursement. Find somewhere with Baylor shifts. You can work two weekend 12-hr shifts and get paid for 36 hours and receive all the benefits that go along with full time employment. There are plenty of options to the situation you're in. Seems like you may be taking a narrow view of things
Lunah, MSN, RN
14 Articles; 13,773 Posts
That's great that your loans are almost out of default! Congrats on that hard work. Now your goal is to spend as little as possible for your RN. Stay at Ivy, get an ASN, then bridge to BSN later at one of the universities you want to attend now. Win win!