Financial Aid for Nursing school in NJ??

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So i am planning on taking my pre-reqs at Union County College this fall part time so I can apply to nursing school after I establish a decent GPA (my past college grades involved unrelated courses and i did very poorly :o) I will probably apply to both Trinitas and Muhlenberg. I spoke with a co-worker who went to Muhlenberg through UCC and she mentioned that she got absolutley 0 financial Aid!!! She is at an age where she can claim herself as an independent, no kids, not living with parents, and makes roughly the same as me (possibly a little bit more, $30,000 annually or so) which is the same situation basically as me. It really made me worried that I seriously cannot afford to even bother with nursing school which breaks my heart.... I am also NOT looking to take out any loans and working with my job's tuition reimbursment plan.

Does anyone have an experiences with recieving financial aid with these schools, and if so did they give you any significant amount??? I was looking at the fees per credit and i almost fell out of my chair!!!!

I'd just like to get an idea of what i should be planning on spending out of my own pocket.

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Specializes in None.

Jdesantis00

I would recommend not using or even mentioning your previous college experience if you did poorly and it was from another college. I have many friends who are trying to dig themselves out of a "gpa graveyard" when they could have "started fresh." The school I am going to demands a gpa of 2.7 in order to get in.

Many students have matured and now are ready for nursing school but their bad grades continue to haunt them. If it means taking one or two classes over again, I would do it to have a decent gpa.

I am not sure how this would impact financial aid if you are paying off a loan and want to delay paying on the loan.

I hope I didn't complicate the problem. Like you I am working my way through nursing school.

Jersey Nursing Girl

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Specializes in CTICU/CVICU.

I applied to Trinitas and got in...and I don't think they even received all of my scores! The thing with Trinitas..they automatically accept everyone. And at the time..I had no pre-reqs completed.

The thing with them is..it's hard to get into their nursing courses..the wait is RI-DIC-U-LOUS! Seriously. So while you wait..you do the pre-reqs and non-nursing courses. I'm not sure about Muhlenburg.

As far as financial aid..I'm not sure what I'm going to do. I did my FAFSA form and because I already have a BA..I know that's going to hurt my amount (there is a limit on how much you can get). I also don't qualify for a Pell Grant..which sucks.

Looks like I will be doing private loans. Since I'll be finish with my science courses this summer..and concentrating on nursing course...after the first semester, I hope to get a scholarship. I'm also applying to work at hospitals (even though most on are a hiring freeze) so I can possibly get tuition reimbursement.

By the way..I'm attending Mountainside Hospital School of Nursing in the fall..

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Specializes in Orthopedics.

Do not try and hide your previous GPA. That is fradulant and you could get into lots of trouble. It is illegal. Plus, if you had loans from your first go in college, all they have to do is pull up your social and your lie regarding your first GPA would be out in the open. Be careful. This is a sure fire way to keep you out of nursing school.

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I don't intend to hide my prior college experience, i was already warned that if i had any financial aid then, and applied for it this time around if would be impossible to hide. So that means trecking down to both colleges and paying off my old parking fines so i can get my transcripts released!!! Oh well, i may get to transfer some English credits from it...

I did notice that Trinitas seems to be pretty laxed about who they accept. The requirements are basically a C or so average in HS, and passing grades in Chem and Bio, which i have. I just figured that i'd explore my options while i get in some pre-reqs.

I keep hearing that financial aid gives you next to nothing! That scares me since I'm working full time, living on my own, and money is tight as it is! I really did not want to take out any loans, but it may be necessary. I get tuition reimbusment at my job, which is supposed to be given back at the end of each semester if your grades are good. I figure i'll do my best, and if i have to shell out some cash out of my own pocket it wouild only be for 1 semester and i could roll over the reimbursment after that....but i hear my job isn't exactly quick with paying you back...yarrr

Oh one more thing! I realized that you can't get financial aid unless you take 6 or more credits per semester??? That is going to KILL me. Some of these classes are labs that you go to 4 days a week as it is and is only 4 credits! I'm gonna have to take some easy crap class or a weekend class just to be able to get aid. ugghh

DOes anyone else feel like the system makes it almost impossible for peopl to get an education???!!!

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