How did you pay for nursing school?

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I'm currently taking out my second bachelor. Have a bachelor in biology and now want to pursue nursing. I used most of my college bond money back when I took out my bio degree. So I'm just looking at different ways to pay for Nursing.

How much was your tuition?

Did you take out loans? If so, which one?

Did you get tuition reimbursement? How?

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.

It's been ages so I don't recall the tuition, but I didn't take out any loans. How I did it:

  • Opted for the ADN at the local CC over a 4 year program.
  • Creative budgeting during the ADN program, especially since I didn't work during it.
  • Bought all nursing textbooks through Amazon. Rented the non-nursing ones whenever possible.
  • Cut out a lot of extras, foregone getting a new truck and kept repairing my old beast, did a lot of clothes shopping at Wal-Mart, and ate and lots of ramen.
  • I then worked while I did the RN-BSN...again, went with a state school as opposed to private. I paid each class in full as I went along, so I couldn't complete the degree fast...but I did completely debt-free. I was only per-diem at the time (though working 40+ hours a week) so I wasn't eligible for tuition reimbursement.

If and when I go for the MSN, I plan to work full-time while doing it. No loans either, so I'll have to pick a school on the good but cost-effective side. I'll be eligible for reimbursement for work, and I plan to apply to any scholarship I'm remotely eligible for. I have also started a little school fund that I add a few hundred dollars to each month. It won't pay any program off, but any bit here and there will help

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