Can't afford to get to nursing school

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hi guys,

i have a serious dilemma and hoping that someone can give me some advice as to what to do.

after much searching, applying and receiving rejection letters from various nursing programs, i have finally found one that accepted me-but it's out of state.

that's not so much the bad part. me and my husband are both unemployed. we pretty much lost our jobs within weeks of each other during the economic downturn. to make matters worst, the next week after getting laid off, i found out i was pregnant. we both desperately searched for work but with the economy and high unemployment rate, we were unsuccessful.

we've decided to use our misfortune to our advantage and enroll in school. i decided to make the sacrifice and relocate to go to nursing school because i know in the end it would be worth it. thankfully, i received a wonderful financial aid package between grants and loans and should be okay to maintain my living expenses without having to work until after i have the baby. my husband is ex-military so his schooling costs are covered by his gi bill-which doesn't extend to me.

my dilemma is the cost associated with me relocating to the school. i was not eligible for unemployment benefits so i lived off my savings and cashed out my 401k to maintain myself and children. now school starts in a few weeks and i don't have a penny to secure an apartment off campus or purchase a plane ticket. i really tried hard to find a job over the summer because i knew this could be a problem but being pregnant definitely didn't help.

now i'm finally scheduled to start school this fall and don't have the funds to get there. i wrote a letter to the pastor of my church hoping they could help, but i'm yet to hear from them. i really don't want this opportunity to pass me by.

any suggestions would be appreciated.

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Specializes in Psychiatry.

Can you wait a year to two to start school? That way, you can secure a job and save for your education. That's what I had to do. I was 38 when I graduated.

Best,

Diane

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1st off I am sorry you are going through so much (((hugs))) and congrats on your pregnancy!

I am going to just be very straight forward so please dont take it as being mean :( This is not the time to start nursing school in your situation. You will be forced to take a LOA because of your pregnancy anyway and trying to start nursing school when you dont have a place to live and are in a good place. It is very demanding and you really have to have all your ducks in line before you enter those doors.

I would take a year off or so and just continue to take classes towards your ADN and you could MAX out your loans/PELL for living expensives

The other option is that if you have good enough credit or have a family memeber that you could get a loan for school....some you can get for up to 40k BUT you will STILL have to take a LOA being pregnant and it will be very hard to do a nursing program while pregnant and then go right back and you never know what will happen during pregnancy. Also the program may not allow you to come right back

Take some time off and contine to take classes and enjoy your new baby it will all get better and you will still have plently of time to get your RN

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I just re-read your post and was wondering how old your other kids were? That is another factor too look at is the school you going to have a onsite daycare by chance? Sometimes those rates are a little cheaper.

Also how far is your husband in schooling? My friend husband is going to school on the GI bill and if I remember right they get some living expenses is he able to get that so it would be easier. Also I would look into married housing some schools have it

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You don't necessarily have to take a leave of absence due to pregnancy....it depends on your due date and your physical health. If you're determined to do it, take out a loan....

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If you didn't have children, I would say take a leap of faith and live in the car for a while. No can do with kiddos though. If it were me, (and I have been there)....a roof over the kids' heads is priority. I would wait a little while and save up a little nest egg to secure an apartment. Apply in the area you will be moving for a subsidized rental property. In the meantime, you could start doing some childcare for a little bit of money. In most areas, you can fairly charge 85-100/week per child. Nursing school is tough. Probably the hardest thing I have ever done. I wouldn't want to take it on if my life was in chaos. Not to say it would be impossible, but school is enough drama for me. Since your husband is a vet, there are other sources of financial aid out there besides the GI bill that will extend to you as a spouse. You might look into some of those, as well as institutional aid/scholarships from the school you will be attending when that time comes. Good luck to you and congrats on your baby!! Try not to stress too much. I've learned over the years that things tend to go their own way if I worry about it or not. It always works out the way it's supposed to.

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my older children will stay here with my husband while me and the baby temporary relocate for me to go to school. my mother in law lives about 4 hours away so she will keep the baby while complete my last semester. i know the plan sounds crazy but it's a sacrifice. the reason why i don't want to delay my start date is this would be the second attempt at starting nursing school. i was in an adn program a few years ago and had to drop out because i was going to school full time and working one full time job and a second part time job (that time my husband was deployed overseas). my school work suffered and i had to drop after second semester.

one of the beauties of this school is they allowed me to "test out of" the first year of nursing courses because of my previous attendance at another school-no other school gave me that option. thankfully, i passed and only have 2 semesters left until i graduate! i've completed all pre-reqs and really have nothing else to take.

the director of the program has since resigned and the new director plans on making some changes including not allowing "testing out of" the first year of nursing school for previous nursing students. also she plans to stop accepting science/bio courses that are more than 5 years old as of next semester.

right now, i'm on schedule to be done next year if i start now. my pregnancy has been fine with no complications-thank god! my fear is if i wait until next year, i could be looking at having to complete the entire 2 year program plus repeat a&p 1 and 2 because they both are 6 years old. i just think this is the best opportunity and unfornately it looks like it may pass me by. :o

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If it feels like now is the time, I certainly say go for it. Sacrifice is hard, but ultimately, it is for the good of your family. Once you get through this program, the future is bright. Being away from each other will be very hard, and I can't imagine having to make that decision. I hope things work out for you.

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(I wrote this reply before reading your update!)

I agree with Coloradogirl, you can max out your loans (stafford, etc) and hopefully have enough to cover classes and use the additional amounts to cover costs for your rent/food, etc. Does the campus you are applying to have on campus housing for married students w/children?

As a married student with children and minimal income you would be 100$ covered by Stafford Loans (which may be enough for your education and housing).

If so, then you should be able to go now if you have enough in you Stafford loan and grants to cover your education and campus housing.

OR, you can defer to January and start the Spring semester, that will buy you six months to get yourself to the state/town you need to live in.

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my older children will stay here with my husband while me and the baby temporary relocate for me to go to school. my mother in law lives about 4 hours away so she will keep the baby while complete my last semester. i know the plan sounds crazy but it's a sacrifice. the reason why i don't want to delay my start date is this would be the second attempt at starting nursing school. i was in an adn program a few years ago and had to drop out because i was going to school full time and working one full time job and a second part time job (that time my husband was deployed overseas). my school work suffered and i had to drop after second semester.

one of the beauties of this school is they allowed me to "test out of" the first year of nursing courses because of my previous attendance at another school-no other school gave me that option. thankfully, i passed and only have 2 semesters left until i graduate! i've completed all pre-reqs and really have nothing else to take.

is your soul problem getting to the location of your school? i imagine you already have your financial aid and housing worked out - you can try contacting the college/university financial aid dept and see if there is some sort of option for paying transportation to the town you will live.

(and, for what it's worth i can understand the sacrifices you are making! while i won't be separated from my family during my education, we are making some huge sacrifices so i can finish as well. you can do this!!! and it will be worth it!)

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Thank you guys for all your wonderful advice. I have sent an email to my financial aid counselor to see if they can refund a portion of my expected refund early so I can have the money to relocate. My sister has agreed to fork over a couple of dollars to cover my plane ticket. Hopefully, I will have some good news once I speak to the financial aid office at my school.

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Are you going to a University? If so can't you live on campus?

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