HELP!! Paying for my second bachelors degree (a nursing degree)

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I will graduate in May of 2013 with a Bachelors of Science in Psychology. A few months before my graduation, I decided that nursing was a better fit for me and am now working on getting into nursing school.

I am VERY worried about paying for a second degree IMMEDIATELY after my first degree (I haven't even had time to get a job).

Any ideas of how to help pay off the loans from the first degree while still also being able to afford the second degree? Looking for any ideas or examples of what anyone else has done.

Thanks!

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If they are federal loans, you will not have to pay them back until after nursing school. I'd suggest picking up a part-time job during nursing school (it would be tough, but shows future employers that you are a hard worker). Otherwise, say hello to interest :)

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I am in this EXACT same boat!I graduated last May with my Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology. I knew I wanted to go to nursing school in my last two semesters of my BA degree. I am already seriously in debt but the job prospect with a psych degree is poopie. So... looks like I'm tackling a second bachelor's degree with no job and no way to start paying on student loans. Fortunately, with federal loans, going back to school gets them deferred. I'm hoping to find a hospital based job while in nursing school to make some payments on my student loans.

I wish you the best.

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Another option is to find a job first. Depending on where you work, your employer may offer tuition reimbursement for your nursing degree.

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I worked as a nurse while I was a t uni and able to offset travel to uni, costs of placements, uniforms, books etc at tax time, which was handy. I also took up a scholarship (rural nursing), which was great. I would have loved to have gotten into the defence force scholarship as they pay you a wage, your hecs. You do have to return service, which means that you are committed to work for the same length of time that they support you for, after you graduate plus a year. But that also is great because at least you know that you will have a job when you graduate. Usually you can apply for scholarships after the first year, so look up any scholarships. Another bonus is you dont need to go through any recruitment fuss like all the othe graduates, because your job is all sorted for you.

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I owe a lot of money for my first degree and was worried about piling on more debt, too. I learned of an education loan offered by a local hospital that paid for ALL my tuition, books and gave me a $1000.00 stipend each semester on the premise that I would work for them for 1 year for every $2000 they gave me.

My college was only a community college and I received an ADN. I then found an online RN to MSN program for non-nursing bachelor degrees. I only have to take 4 extra classes before entering the MSN program. So, what time it takes others to complete their bachelor's in nursing I will be completing my Master's. Same goes with you. Don't think that bachelor's is a waste because it definitely is not!!!!

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Have you started nursing school yet? I am a recent grad since of august with a BA in psychology also and wanting to apply to a second degree bsn program and am wondering if loans will even give me more money for a second degree... If so how are you managing?

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Does the hospital pay for your expenses before or after accepted into nursing school?

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
Does the hospital pay for your expenses before or after accepted into nursing school?
Hospitals will not pay for anything unless you work for them then it is usually a limited amount per year
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I didn't even know my local hospital offered education loans until they came to my nursing class one day and gave a presentation on it. They were nurse recruiters. It appears they only extend their loans out to nursing students that are currently in the program. I would definitely call the human resource department of your local hospitals or hospitals you are interested in working for and see if they offer such loans. Best of luck.

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To be clear, I was not employed by the hospital that offered me the loan, Wellmont Health Systems in VA, but I had to sign a contract stating that I would apply and accept a job if offered to me upon graduation. If I defaulted and did not become and stay employed for the remainder of my contract, then I had to pay all the money back to Wellmont. There wasn't a limit on what they would pay...I had to work 1 year for every two thousand they gave me. They would only pay for required nursing classes and books, plus the stipend every semester. I once decided to take an ACLS class and they wouldn't pay for it because it wasn't a requirement of the program.

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