How am I gonna pay for this???

delawaremalenurse · Apr 9, 2017

I would go for it. There will be tuition reimbursement if they hire you. It is a great program with a great reputation and opens doors for other opportunities.
I didn't go to Watts, but i managed nursing school with a full time HH job, two kids. The timing is doable.

Tuition reimbursement is for established employees of a facility looking to advance their education. It is not for new hires looking to pay off already incurred student loans. You should avoid incurring massive debt that you will have difficulty paying off and that may substantially impact your personal, professional, and financial life decisions.

Your best option is to obtain the best grades possible and max out your score on the point system used by your community college. If this means re-doing classes...then so be it. You need to speak with an advisor and find out what you need to do to be competitive on their scale.

delawaremalenurse · Apr 9, 2017

Youre my new bff whether you know it or not. Lol. Ive used all my pell grant on my other degree so im down ti fedeeal and private loans. If you dint mind me asking, did you use sallie mae? I dont care how much i have to take out because i know there are forgiveness options and if i make what i see fir no's, i cab reoay with no issue. I just hope i can borrow maybe 8000 per semester for living.

You are seriously jeopardizing your future by taking out federal and private loans. Private loans are not subject to loan forgiveness and you may not be eligible for federal loan forgiveness....big gambles. Why are you so resistant to trying to become competitive at your local community college?

tyvin, BSN, RN · Apr 9, 2017

There is a lot of free money out there to go to school on; you need to look. Pell grants are free. Scholarships abound everywhere; you need to research and do the work. Do your homework and only borrow what you need.

I worked restaurant nights, 4 days a week and had one toddler. It was fine. Time management and budget are essential.

lebelesprit_ · Apr 9, 2017

Tuition reimbursement is for established employees of a facility looking to advance their education. It is not for new hires looking to pay off already incurred student loans. You should avoid incurring massive debt that you will have difficulty paying off and that may substantially impact your personal, professional, and financial life decisions.
Your best option is to obtain the best grades possible and max out your score on the point system used by your community college. If this means re-doing classes...then so be it. You need to speak with an advisor and find out what you need to do to be competitive on their scale.

Ive done that already. Their response coupled with stories from other students have helped me determine that its not for me. I just dont have 2 or 3 years to sit on a waiting list. I forgot about my 401k. Thatll be enough to get me thru a semester.

lebelesprit_ · Apr 9, 2017

There is a lot of free money out there to go to school on; you need to look. Pell grants are free. Scholarships abound everywhere; you need to research and do the work. Do your homework and only borrow what you need.
I worked restaurant nights, 4 days a week and had one toddler. It was fine. Time management and budget are essential.

Thank you so much. Im inspired again. Lol

Everline · Apr 9, 2017

I always advise people to go through whatever trouble they have to go through to come out of nursing school with as little debt as possible. You don't want to be saddled with a lot of debt as a new grad, I promise you. Getting into nursing school as soon as possible and not having to deal with a point system might seem great right now. But you may feel differently after the fact. Just my 2 cents. I took out loans for my undergrad degree (in another field) and once I paid them off, I promised I'd never do it again. I went to a community college for my nursing degree and I came out debt free. I have had some work experiences that made me glad I was not burdened by loan payments. Consider carefully and best wishes whatever you decide.

lebelesprit_ · Apr 9, 2017

I always advise people to go through whatever trouble they have to go through to come out of nursing school with as little debt as possible. You don't want to be saddled with a lot of debt as a new grad, I promise you. Getting into nursing school as soon as possible and not having to deal with a point system might seem great right now. But you may feel differently after the fact. Just my 2 cents. I took out loans for my undergrad degree (in another field) and once I paid them off, I promised I'd never do it again. I went to a community college for my nursing degree and I came out debt free. I have had some work experiences that made me glad I was not burdened by loan payments. Consider carefully and best wishes whatever you decide.

After everything everyone has said, im not sure i need to go back to school right now. I dont wanna go thru cc, i dont want a bunch of debt. I dont know what to do after reading everyones comments.

marienm, RN, CCRN · Apr 10, 2017

I maxed out my Federal loan options (no grants, since I already had a BA) and borrowed from Sallie Mae for living expenses for a 2 year degree. If I remember correctly, I took out about $50000 total; about $20000 covered tuition and fees and we lived on the remaining $30000 plus my spouse's income for 2 years. At the time, I was really glad I did it--I don't think I could have completed my whole degree (including the 'prereqs' that I was doing at the same time) while working. Prior to entering nursing school our incomes had been very low, and we didn't want to risk emptying our savings to pay for school/living expenses. My spouse worked while I was in school, but it wasn't enough to fully support us and pay my tuition. It seemed like the right answer for us. It definitely wasn't cheap, though, as Sallie Mae's rates were 7% and 8% for each of the 2 years. Technically, these were variable-rate loans so the could have gone up, but fortunately they didn't. The unsubsidized Federal loans were at ~5%.

After I started working, we started paying the loans off pretty aggressively ($1000 a month) but it still felt like we weren't making much headway. (The minimum required payment is around 500-600.) After about a year and half, I happened to see an ad for refinancing student loans through Citizens Bank (where we happen to do our banking, but no I don't work for them!). We were able to consolidate the balance of all the loans into one loan at a much lower interest rate (I think it's 2.35%). At least it feels like we're getting somewhere now...but by the time I am done paying, I will have been paying $1000/month for just about 5 years, plus I paid all the interest while I was in school. So, $50000 is going to cost us at least $60000 by the time we're done. Do I regret it? Not really, but it's a risk and there are tradeoffs to everything. I work night shift, and my differential is just about $1000/month. So, that means I can't switch to days if I wanted to...we need the money! It means I worry about cutting back to a .75 position if I were to pursue more education (which my employer would pay for, but they won't pay for my initial debt!). It means we've considered upgrading our house, but have put off those plans so that we can get the loans paid off.

Best of luck to you, whatever you decide. I don't know the schools in question; in my area, I know many nurses who loved their CC programs and others who hated them.

lebelesprit_ · Apr 10, 2017

I maxed out my Federal loan options (no grants, since I already had a BA) and borrowed from Sallie Mae for living expenses for a 2 year degree. If I remember correctly, I took out about $50000 total; about $20000 covered tuition and fees and we lived on the remaining $30000 plus my spouse's income for 2 years. At the time, I was really glad I did it--I don't think I could have completed my whole degree (including the 'prereqs' that I was doing at the same time) while working. Prior to entering nursing school our incomes had been very low, and we didn't want to risk emptying our savings to pay for school/living expenses. My spouse worked while I was in school, but it wasn't enough to fully support us and pay my tuition. It seemed like the right answer for us. It definitely wasn't cheap, though, as Sallie Mae's rates were 7% and 8% for each of the 2 years. Technically, these were variable-rate loans so the could have gone up, but fortunately they didn't. The unsubsidized Federal loans were at ~5%.
After I started working, we started paying the loans off pretty aggressively ($1000 a month) but it still felt like we weren't making much headway. (The minimum required payment is around 500-600.) After about a year and half, I happened to see an ad for refinancing student loans through Citizens Bank (where we happen to do our banking, but no I don't work for them!). We were able to consolidate the balance of all the loans into one loan at a much lower interest rate (I think it's 2.35%). At least it feels like we're getting somewhere now...but by the time I am done paying, I will have been paying $1000/month for just about 5 years, plus I paid all the interest while I was in school. So, $50000 is going to cost us at least $60000 by the time we're done. Do I regret it? Not really, but it's a risk and there are tradeoffs to everything. I work night shift, and my differential is just about $1000/month. So, that means I can't switch to days if I wanted to...we need the money! It means I worry about cutting back to a .75 position if I were to pursue more education (which my employer would pay for, but they won't pay for my initial debt!). It means we've considered upgrading our house, but have put off those plans so that we can get the loans paid off.
Best of luck to you, whatever you decide. I don't know the schools in question; in my area, I know many nurses who loved their CC programs and others who hated them.

This helps a lot but after reading other responses, Im not even sure i should go back to school. Thnx

studentbear, CNA · Apr 10, 2017

I didn't read through all of the replies, so I apologize if someone has already said this, but definitely go to your school's financial aid office. They will have the most accurate information for you as far as what you qualify for. Also, if you apply for financial aid (by doing your FAFSA), lots of places will automatically award scholarships.

coneal783, ADN, RN · Apr 10, 2017

I know the CC point system seems intimidating, but it's just to make sure students are properly prepared for the nursing program. I'm sure the program at Watts is just as challenging, if not more, than the CC programs. I would agree with everyone saying to keep persevering with your prereqs at the CC. You can definitely still get in if you have a C or two.

Also, if you plan to work as a CNA during nursing school, I would try to get into a hospital before you start nursing school. I work at Rex as a CNA, and they will provide some tuition reimbursement, but you have to work there 6 months before you can apply for the assistance. You also have to work at least part time (24 hours a week) to be eligible. I'm sure this is similar at Duke and Wakemed.

It will take some work and perseverance, but don't give up. Just make sure it's really what you want to do. Don't just settle for a program. In the past, I had been thinking about going to ECPI for the LPN program because there are no prereqs and no point system for acceptance. But there is no way I'd spend $35k to get an LPN. So I took a couple extra semesters to finish prereqs and apply to Wake Tech. Hang in there, if it's meant to be, you'll find a way.

lebelesprit_ · Apr 11, 2017

Thanks darling. Not sure if im going back to school.