Does anyone have any ideas on how to pay for college?

I just got accepted to Wright State University in Dayton, Oh about a week or so ago and I decided to go there to get my bachelors degree in nursing. Well I plan on going fulltime for 12 credit hours and I got a pell grant and an ohio instructional grant and they also want me to take out 2 stafford loans. I found out the reason I didn't get a federal supplemental grant was cause the deadline was feb. 15 which I didn't know the deadline was that early, so I said now I know when to apply for 2005 so I can get all 3 grants. But I really don't won't to take out those loans because I already have loans from when I went to ITT Technical institute totaling $32,000. They said I don't qualify for anything else. I see most of the scholarships require you to be a nursing student already, or a high school senior, or have a high g.p.a. Does anyone have any suggestions?

[ibmissy]

I currently am going to a Technical school for the LPN program..I will owe almost $15K in loans...$900 I pay out of pocket, and $4450 in grants...After graduation I plan on getting a part-time job as an LPN(Maybe be a pool nurse, since they get paid a lot in my area). I will start paying on my loans..and am going to try to get into a bridging program, so I can go on to become an RN. I know student loans will add up, but since I will be a practical nurse, I will already be earning money...Not sure how long your loans are going to take to pay off..presently mine will take 10 yrs

[FutureNurse2005]

get a job, sell stuff on ebay, get a credit card, borrow from family.

Those are the only things I can come up with!

hth:)

[andi2634]

See if any of the local hospitals have educational assistance programs. I went to nursing school in Cleveland and there were some through the Clevleand Clinic System. We could work 20 hours a week as an aid or tech and the hospital would pay tuition or we could take loan out through the hospital and agree to work for them for 2 years after graduation. That's what I did- I got my second year of school paid for- I signed a contract- but if I don't want to stay it will turn into a student loan that I would have to pay off. I was still able to interview at different hospitals in the system and pick the area I wanted to work in.

[renerian, BSN, RN]

Why are people so against taking out a loan? I did ? My kids are taking partial loans since I have 4 kids and a hubby in college. I just graduated. You could always work and go to school/I did that. My kids are doing that....................

Good luck in whatever you decide but don't let a loan scare you off.

renerian

[AmyLiz]

Find a job at one of the hospitals. Most of them will give you tuition reimbursement. True, you'll have to pay for the classes first, but they'll pay you back. I think good sam or kettering does that. Someone in my A&P class got a job in distribution at one of those hospitals & was thrilled to find out that they'll pay for her school.

[lashon20]

Well I won't have to worry now, they revoked my admission cause I didn't tell them about going to sinclair and my grades weren't good. My g.p.a. was a 1.6. But the only reason I got those f's was because I left sinclair too go to ITT and I didn't withdraw from the classes which was a dumb mistake on my part and it's haunting me. I take it as a blessing in the sky, it would've been a problem trying to go there and take out more loans. So I'm applying to kettering College of Medical Arts or I might stay at sinclair. I don't think wright state's program is all that anything, everyone has only mentioned sinclair's program to me anyway and sinclair pass rate is higher than wright state's. I just took my pre test at kettering hospital and I passed so I should here something by oct. 20. I'm hoping I get in at kettering college and get a job there.

[AmyLiz]

Good luck! Sounds like a better option for you anyway. I'm at Sinclair...I've heard Kettering & Sinclair are both really good. Similar passing rates, I think. I looked at going to Kettering, but it was too expensive for me.

[caligirl]

I dont know your situation or if you ever considered the military but I was in for 5 years and I get the GI Bill now. All my school is paid for. My husband is geting his masters paid for by the Air Force right now. He is still active duty.

I dont like debt. That is why I am against loans.

[maire, ASN, RN]

This week during a break in class, some fellow students and I were standing outside chatting about this...and we came up with topless dancing. Good money.

[lashon20]

Thanks for all the advice everyone. Amyliz you are right Kettering is very expensive. They cost more than wright state and sinclair. I was looking at their costs and I can't believe it cost over $4000 each semester.

[AmyLiz]

Yeah, I know...talk about sticker shock. I felt the same way when I was looking into that program. Just not feasible for me. I cannot get federal or state financial aid due to the fact I already have a Bachelors degree, so finances put me at Sinclair. I'm really happy here though. The instructors (so far) in all my classes have been really great & I've learned tons!