How did you fund your education?

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I am going to a private university for my BS nursing. The school is extremely expensive but I can start in Spring rather than wait until Fall semester. I applied financial aid, only got about $3000 grand. The tuition is $22000 per year. I can properly get a loan, but may take a long time to pay back. Need some advice from you guys.

22k a year, for tuition alone?

I have no idea how old you are or what your life situation is, but whew! That is a load of debt to be saddled with. For a semester's wait?

I would very respectfully suggest that you begin looking at a plan B, just for giggles. Even if you think you would never go anywhere else. You can find student loan repayment, but unless you choose to do something very challenging- like HRSA, or Indian Health Srevices, most hospitals I have seen are NOT paying off 40k. They might give you 5k or 10k, if you're lucky.

I was accepted into a local BSN program which would have only cost me 20-25 total. Very well respected program, but then I was notified that I received a scholarship ay my local CC (where I did most of the pre req's) that would cover almost all of my tuition. At the time, I thought "NO way. I am soooo going to go to the BSN program. No brainer." Until I spoke to people, and played through the RN to BSN tuition reimbursement through the very same Uni. hospital for free, and realized that I really did not want to spend severall years trying to find ways to pay down that loan. I want to be free!

Best of luck to you!

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my wonderful husband is paying my way! I am only part time because of the lack of funds though. I have gotten 2 small bursaries also.

its tough! good luck!

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I borrowed a total of $15K for my BSN, which turns out to be the perfect amount. The dept. of public health here pays back a max of $16K (over 4 years) for any nurse who works at an "eligible" facility - basically any teaching hospital in a disadvantaged area, which includes everywhere urban. My hospital also offers up to $16K in educational benefit (also $4K/yr) which you can use to either pay back loans OR go back for another (health care only) degree.

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I saved money, worked full time during school, and paid cash. Went to an inexpensive (but still respected) community college. I already had a degree, so I didn't qualify for grants or most scholarships.

No debt from nursing school. I would vomit blood out my eyeballs if I had 44K or more in student loans getting out of college, heck I don't owe that much on my car, house, and husband's master's degree combined!

There is one hospital within 100 miles of here that pays good tuition reimbursement, and they pay 8K a year for up to 3 years. The other hospitals pay very little to nothing in tuition reimbursement (I live within 50 miles of probably 10 major hospitals of 300+ beds and I dont' know how many smaller hospitals (20? 30?) of less than 200 beds.

With the economy like it is, I don't think you can plan on tuition reimbursement. I would be very uneasy taking on such debt if there were other options.

Think of it this way--you plan take on 44K or more debt so that you can get out and work 4 months earlier? Are you going to earn 44K in those 4 months? No way, no how. Are those 4 extra months of working worth that much money to you?

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i worked when i was in school and on vacation to finance everything. it was tough, but when i graduated i had no debt and a clean slate! it's hard while you're doing it, but worth it at the end! our economy is in the crapper, so personally, i'd advise against taking out loans (yet just another one to add to the pile of loans we already have). Consider working part time while you're in school!

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