How to make finances work when getting into an ABSN with a family

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Hi all,

I'm new to this site. I am currently an Engineer. I am taking online pre-reqs and should be done in May. I currently live in NY but am thinking of relocating to GA. I also have a husband and 3 year old daughter. My big puzzling dilemma is how can I make ends meet while being in an accelerated bsn program or should I resort to doing an associates for right now? I thought about using loans to cover expenses for the year that i'm out but I'm nervous about the debt. Any advice is appreciated.

0 Votes

We honestly lived on PB&J, eggs & toast and once in a while spagetti, during nursing school. Had NO CHRISTMAS, NO GOING OUT, NO EATING OUT, NO NEW CLOTHES, NO NEW NOTHING... The only thing we ever bought was GAS. It was hard, I hated it, I survived it... My daughter was a senior in HS and she worked to buy all of her graduation supplies and pictures.

In your situation I would think the cost of living in GA would be cheaper, and as far as ASN/BSN what is the time diff? If it is alot, you can always work as an RN with a ASN, and continue for your BSN while working.

0 Votes

LOL....wow. That's sooo difficult. Well the Accelerated BSN is 12-18 months depending on the school. The ASN is 24 months. I didn't want to do a 2 year but I'm willing to do what ever is necessary to keep everyone comfortable and still do what I need to do. We are planning a move next year which would be around the time of starting the program.

0 Votes
Specializes in Med Surg.

Hi Jeniya,

I'm sure it's hard to keep it up with a new baby in the house. Although it is doable. If you have a BS/BA in another field you can take an Accelerated BSN program and finish it in 12 months to 2 years (depends on the school). The cost ranges from $12k to $30k per year. But once you've graduated & passed the NCLEX, you can take 2 jobs and pay it all in 1 year (it's totally doable). Also, you should know that there is still great shortage of RNs in homecare, nursing homes and hospitals. Just do some research on the salaries (they are higher in big cities like NY, LA, etc). Best of luck.

0 Votes

Thanks Felix. I'm just wondering if using loan money to cover expenses makes sense? Or are there any other methods?

0 Votes

There is the option of doing the Associate's at a community college and then going for the BSN later.

If you find an employer like mine, they will even reimburse tuition for a certain number of credit hours a semester if you want to further your education. Several of my co-workers are working on advanced degrees this way.

I found community college a good financial deal. I was able to pay for all my tuition, books and expenses from money earned from my CNA job.

Think carefully before getting into serious debt.

Are you sure you want to give up engineering? My husband is an engineer, and sometimes I envy the perks of his job.

0 Votes

Thanks RN. Everyone asks me the same thing about engineering. I don't care about perks anymore. I really dislike it. I got into it for the money and I regret it. I wanted to be in the medical profession since I was 10 years old and 16 years later I still yearn for the same thing. I really want to be where my passion lies.

0 Votes
+ Add a Comment