How Did You Pay Your Way Through Nursing College/university

Nursing Students General Students

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I'm doing upgrading this fall.... and hope to go to college next year.... but being a single mom and knowing all the resposibilities that come with that.... and having to handle all my own expenses... I have been wondering for sometime:

How will I afford, myself, baby, college and still live in a decent place, with a little money to go out and do stuff...

So if anyone can give me an idea about what they did how they did it... and the way things work... please do so....

:confused: :o :o :confused: :stone ;)

Specializes in Geriatrics, Med-Surg.

I am also a new student and am in the midst of trying to figure things out financially. I know this is what I want to do and therefore I WILL find a way. Fortunately, I'm on unemployment after being laif off from a job that I didn't like. I've downgraded my expenses...got a roommate, selling my car, etc....but I'm constantly looking for scholarships and grants. My tuition is paid for and if you make under a certain amount, you will most likely qualify as well. The best thing to do would be to talk to the financial aid office at the school you'd like to attend. They should be able to guide you in the right direction. The first step is to fill out the FAFSA....financial aid application. From there, they will be able to tell you what you may qualify for. Then, you can check out scholarship websites...my favs are http://www.allscholarships.com and http://www.fastweb.com. Good luck! I hope this helps aim you in the right direction.

Jill :-)

My schooling was completely paid for by Financial Aid. Except my last semester, which I had to get a loan for.

Let me just say that if it wasn't for Financial Aid, there is no way I would ever become a nurse. I certainly couldn't afford it on my own!

Good Luck to you!

Julie

Because I am considered a dislocated homemaker, I qualified for a program called WV Workforce Investment Board, this program is paying for my tuition, books, $10 a day for expenses(gas,food), they even paid for uniform and shoes. This was a God send to me. The plant my husband worked for shut down, then he had to have his 2nd open heart surgery,he is now disabled. Call your local job service, Ask if there is any kind of financial help for job training.

Specializes in LDRP.

I am really relying on financial aid to pay for everything, but who knows. Whatever isn't paid for will come out of a school loan. I am poor! LOL! :) That's why I am getting educated-to do what I love and get PAID for it!

Anyway, good luck! :D

Well,

Financial aid and loans are paying for my school it's a very expensive school... My husband will try to support me and my son as I don't think going to work and school will be such a great idea for me (I tried couldn't make the grades doing both)... Anyway go to your financial aid office in your school... they always try to help out... If I wasn't an expensive school I probably wouldn't have to take out a loan. I'm also taking out an excessive loan meaning

that after tuiton and books are paid I'll have some left over and it will be given to me. I will use that money for gas and daycare for my son... That way I will have some decent food at my table... lol.

Just tell financial aid about your situation that's what I did... I know I'll probably owe so much when I finish but I'm willing to sacrifice that much for my degree (just imho).

Specializes in LTC, CPR instructor, First aid instructor..

:nurse:

I had always wanted to be a nurse. I knew my calling when I worked as a nurse'a aide back in the early 60s. Unfortunately I realized that my life was to take a different path than nursing for a few years. I got married, then separated after 7 years, leaving me to raise two children, still with the desire to become a nurse. I eventually became a school bus driver, and joined our local ambulance corps, becoming an EMT the following year. I also became a CPR and a First Aid, instructor. I have a lifelong philosophy, "Whaterer you decide to do in life, do it with all of your might." That was why I became the ambulance corp's first EMT, and I held that position for ten years, after which some new people became EMTs.

The bus company decided to have me teach CPR, Basic First Aid, and OSHA regulations to all 130 of their employees. Being an EMT, I was automatically required to recertify in bloodbourne OSHA regulations annually, which qualified me to teach those regulations to the employees.

After being an employee with the bus company for 15 years, I decided that it was time for me to move to another state near my oldest daughter who is a graduate student at our local university. I had a wonderful sendoff from my former employer, that included a bonus check of $350., and a great letter of recommendation.

Armed with all of that, I decided to send resumes, and apply to various areas of employment, where I wasn't getting very far. Five months later I received a full scholarship to the nursing program at our local VoTec school. At the age of 55, I realized my dream. My children were both grown and married by that time.

I guess what I'm trying to say, is that I was forced to wait until my children grew up before I went to nursing school. I was the oldest student in my class. I had received my scholarship from a state funded program that helps people with financing an new career. I really don't have any answers for you right now though, but I thought by telling you how I became a nurse might give you an idea.

After arriving at my new destination, :p

One of the local hospitals is paying for my education... Which is great... They pay for books, uniforms, tuition... EVERYTHING..... However I do have to sign a contract saying that once I am out of school I will work for them for 2yrs.. and if something happens, then we would set up a payment plan and I would pay them back like a student loan...

I would definately check with you local hospitals and see if they have nursing scholarships/loans..

Specializes in Community Health Nurse.

As Jilly T suggested, http://www.fastweb.com is an excellent site to check for scholarships and grants. I visit that site quite often myself because I want to return to school once we move out of Texas. If I am able to secure employment as a nurse, I will need little to nothing to pay for my education, but if I'm not, I will need assistance with going back to college to make myself employable again.

Every time I hear of a struggling single mom with children, my heart aches for you all. I was once in your shoes, but not until after my nursing college days were over, so I could afford to care for myself and the kids with my income and their father's child support contribution added to it. If I had the money, I would be more than willing to help single mothers with children who really really want to make something of themselves. I pray each day for a financial blessing so I can do things like this because the need is so great. Hang in there, and stay encouraged. Don't give up on your dreams. Have a goal, a plan to achieve that goal, and search and research every avenue for aid to help you arrive at your goal. Be determined and don't let anyone get in the path of your achievements as long as you are loving your little ones as a first priority. They need to see their single moms achieve and believe in yourselves. The more they witness of you achieving and believing, the stronger their character will become. Go for it! We may not personally know one another, but even so, I pray for ALL single moms and their little angels in every prayer I say each day. Being a mom of three adult daughters with children (two have husbands), and having walked a similar path myself, I know your search seems impossible, but believe in yourselves, and you too will see your dream come true. ((((hugs)))) :kiss

I am loaning it all the way. My husband makes just over the cut-off for fianancial aid except tap. I will get a little from that . This is the only way for me. Good Luck!

What about school grants? check with financial aid, I am also taking out a student loan to help with finances..... the light company just will not wait for me top graduate lol I will put the money to good use, yeah I will have loans after, but well worth it I think(mom of 4 kids)

If you have not already done so I would strongly encourage you to talk to the financial aid officer at the school you are wanting to attend.

Do you have family close by. Is it possible to maybe stay with them exchange for paying them a small amount. Or how about finding a room mate to live with. Perhaps maybe another single mother.

I have known several people including myself to take out extra loans to help out with living expenses like child care among other things.

Call hospitals that you think you would like to work for and see if they offer a loan forgiveness program that pay part or all of your tution in exchange for a work commitment. I am going to sign a contract for my senior year with one of the major hospital systems in my city that says they will pay 100% of my total tution for my senior year which is 15k in exchange for a 2 year work commitment. Out of the 16 hospitals in the system none of them was the hospital I wanted to work at after graduation but it is only for 2 years and then I can move on. I have the option of paying back the loan within a year if I don't work for them but their is a 10% interest pentalty that goes along with it.

Good luck

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