Financial Help For Student Nurse

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Hello,

Im hoping for some help or guidance from other nurses or student nurses, my name is Gil, I am a LVN-RN bridge student and have been a LVN for 4 years.

I am in the third semester and will graduate in May.

One of my classmates in my clinical group is really having some financial trouble he is a generic RN student and I met him this year. He was having trouble since the beginning of this semester with money losing his job this semester and he did not receive enough from financial aide this semester and may have to quit the nursing program due to financial problems. To top things off he was in a accident last week and his car was totaled. Now he has been taking the bus to clinical and class, its killing me inside cause he has no family and friends he keeps to himself so not many people in my class know him.

Its bothering me everyday because i feel like he just needs a break someone to be there to help him out financially, we just have a few months till graduation and I dont want him to have to quit because of money. Im broke cause i quit my job so i cant help him financially either.

I havent spoken with any of our instructors yet because i dont want rumors to spread so any help is appreciated

Is there any programs or resources that can help him out? I dont want him to quit and I really want to help him!1

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See if he is comfortable to apply for food stamps. He is probably eligible. Tell him to look it up online. I would not "advise" him to go do it. I would just mention it in passing. Some people might feel embarassed so I wouldn't push it, but as long as you mention that its available it should be ok. That will at least cover his food. As far as the bus maybe your other classmates can pick him up?

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It's very kind of you to worry about one of your classmates.

I don't think there's much you can do for him except reach out and try to be friends. If you established a connection with him, he might talk about his money problems and you could help him contact the financial aid office/welfare programs.

Most nursing students are dirt poor. It's nothing to be ashamed of.

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You are so caring. I start next semester, but I am already spending so much on books, tools etc. Plus the BLS and ACLS courses we have to pay for, the health check up, vaccinations, boy, things just add up so fast. So I know what it feels like to be a broke nursing student. If financial aid is not covering enough, he can apply for loans and apply for food stamps just like other ppl say. It's really temporary and nobody should be ashamed of it.

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Has he checked into getting "special circumstances aid?" I believe if he can show a real need for more aid, he may be eligible. Since he lost his job, I would think he should qualify.

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Student loans, that's what I'm doing.

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definitely tell him to go to the financial aid office and see if there are federal loans he's eligible for. (Federal sub/unsub loans have a max of $56K for undergraduate education & Dept Health and Human Serv have a nurse loan program also!)

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Specializes in Cardiac.

He needs to downsize. If he has no kids and isn't already, then it has the capability to live for ridiculously cheap. Any more than $300-400 for rent is too much. All services need to go: cell phone, cable, netflix, etc. No more than $100 should be spent on food (and if he is eligible for assistance as mentioned above then even better).

Since he no longer has a car he can save money by not worrying about gas and insurance.

I don't know what specific situation he is in, but I know a lot of people in "financial hardship" that simply refuse to downgrade their life. Most people have the capability to save money by cutting out the extras.

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You mentioned he was in a car accident. Hopefully he has insurance or may be eligible to get the cost of renting a car paid for by the insurance company at least while he is trying to get through school. It might be cheaper than buying a new/used car and if yes then he could try Priceline and go to the "name your own price" sometimes you can get a car for $8-13 (depending on airport and season etc..) a day plus the extras which can be a lot but its something to think about. This may be the least of his worries but that was just one thought I had about his situation. Good luck and as the other student said...you are so thoughtful to offer your hand and friendship to him.:yeah:

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Good Day,

As others have stated previously, he is mostly eligible for foodstamps based on what you have mentioned thus far. One trick about receiving foodstamps is that it is based on the entire household income. Not sure if he is living with anyone or alone. As someone who works very closely with benefit workers and clients who faithfully look forward to receiving federal assistance, it is nothing to be ashamed about. It is there to assist those who are in need. Shoot once I quit my job in another week, I am considering applying myself while I am going back to school. If he applies and is deemed eligible his worker can also assist him with getting bus tokens as I do for my clients who appear to be very needy people and fail to work or do any good for themselves. If the system can find ways to support those people, they can find ways to support struggling students who are at least trying to better themselves. To those who are reading this and in need or will be in need of health insurance such as myself, Medicaid (government assistance health insurance) is also available.

I never thought I would ever consider or be placed in a situation where I would need to receive any type of government assistance, but hey it's there just for people in situations as described above. Use the system as a way to get back on your feet. No one with any intelligence and good sense will look down upon you. If they do then they are bad company and do not need to be around you. I hope all works out for him, and Kudos to you for even caring about your classmate and wanting to help even if you can't. We need more people like you in this world!

If you have any questions or may need me to get some additional information for you to possibly pass onto him or others in his boat let me know. The eligibility requirements should be listed on the internet, but I can seek first hand information from inside if needed. Just let me know before my last day of work.

Peace be unto You.

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The nursing program I'm in offers emergency loans for students. That is, we get a maximum of $500 and pay it back w/o interest by the next semester. I would mention something to the dean privately to see what they can do to help him. After all, we're in a profession to help others, I think they should understand.

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