How are people surviving financially while in a full-time ABSN program?

DMORN · Mar 29, 2018

This is one of my biggest concerns!

**NICU Guy, BSN, RN** · Mar 30, 2018

I worked two 12 hr shifts (Fri and Sat) throughout my 15 mo. ABSN program. That allowed me to continue to pay my bills. In addition to creative financing. I had a credit card that offered a balance transfer offer at 0% for 18 mo. They allowed the money to be deposited into my checking account. That helped pay for tuition, books, and an extra reserve emergency fund. Once I graduated and the 18 months was up, I transferred the balance to another card for 18 mo. By the time that period ended, I was well established in my nursing job and could easily be paid off.

mitcheml98 · Mar 30, 2018

Hi! I'm going into an ADN program, which is 5 days a week all day, so I made a budget where I can work only weekends (12 hour shifts) and still be okay. I made sure that all my bills (car payment, insurance, etc) were less than one paycheck a month, which is around $400. Then my other pay check is for my gas, food, parking pass at school, etc. I'm fourtunate enough to have my fiancÃ© who will help me pay for anything else that I need or didn't know I needed haha!! If I were you, I would first find a job where you can work a 12 hour shift, then plan your budget!

RainbowSprinkles · Mar 31, 2018

Im a second degree student who just got accepted in accelerated adn program, 14 months. All I can say is SAVE, SAVE, SAVE from now, put yourself on a tight budget so by time you get into your program you have some funds available. For the most part there isn't any financial help for second degree students besides loans. Depending on your school situation, you may be able to snag some grants/scholarships (most expensive colleges afford you something). I will be living off of my loans, saved money, and credit cards until I'm done. Lots of folks go the adn route if they cant absn programs, however I know that would be counterproductive in NY..especially after they just passed the new law pertaining to adn nurses.

idkmybffjill · Mar 31, 2018

There isn't a lot of funding for second bachelor's degrees in general. There are probably some general nursing scholarships out there that you can apply for, which would help with some of the cost (especially if you are good at writing essays).

I'm not sure how many areas receive funding for it, but where I live, you can get part of your tuition paid for (or full tuition if you go to the cheapest ADN program) through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. The local public work agency does it here. They will partly pay for the last 30 credit hours of the program as long as you don't make over so much an hour and you meet their GPA requirements. It might be worth it to see if that's something available in your area.

Otherwise, I've been building up my savings a lot, working as much OT as I can right now, so that I have some extra money to live off of. I'm also planning to work at least a 12 hour shift every week to help negate the cost.

FutureNurseInfo · Mar 31, 2018

Are you talking about me lol? I do, too, have an undergrad and grad degrees and a ton of loans! And I am trying to get into an ABSN, so working full-time will be close to impossible, no matter what others say.

All I can tell you is, do not, I repeat, do not go private route. There are so many fools (no offense) that go private route like NYU or Columbia with all those hopes up, but what they forget or try not to think at the moment is, on top of all of the debt they already owe, they build up tens, or even hundreds (Columbia) thousands of dollars in more debt. Ask yourself, do you want to graduate having $200,000 in student loan debt? No nursing job will help pay back that much money, unless you work 7 shifts for the next 30 years!

On the positive note, maybe a significant other, or a parent can support you while you are in school.

Also, like others have already mentioned, start saving as much as you can. A penny here and a penny there can build a buck!

jess.mont, ADN, RN · Apr 1, 2018

There's no reason not to get an ADN in NYS. ADN nurses who start school since the BSN-in-10 law just have to earn a BSN within 10 years. A community college ADN for in-state residents is about $10,000. An online RN-to-BSN program like the one at the University of Buffalo is $14,000. $24,000 isn't a terrible amount of debt, especially if you consider the rule of thumb of not taking on more debt than you make in one year's salary.

**NICU Guy, BSN, RN** · Apr 1, 2018

There's no reason not to get an ADN in NYS. ADN nurses who start school since the BSN-in-10 law just have to earn a BSN within 10 years. A community college ADN for in-state residents is about $10,000. An online RN-to-BSN program like the one at the University of Buffalo is $14,000. $24,000 isn't a terrible amount of debt, especially if you consider the rule of thumb of not taking on more debt than you make in one year's salary.

How marketable are ASN nurses in NY? The new law is another reason for hospitals to discriminate against ASN nurses. The risk hiring an ASN nurse is that they get hired, get married, start having kids, and then it becomes harder to go back to school for their BSN. Now the hospital has to fire experienced nurses that procrastinated too long and their 10 yrs is up. It is far easier for the hospital to hire a BSN from the start.

jess.mont, ADN, RN · Apr 1, 2018

This law only applies to new nurses who graduate after the law was passed. Everyone else - even students on wait-lists for school - is grandfathered in.

ADN nurses are still very marketable in most areas of NYS. There are also still plenty of hospitals who offer generous educational benefits, so many, many employees will have their BSNs paid for by their employers. NYC is the exception, from what I read here, but I don't have any first-hand knowledge of that.

Also, you shouldn't assume that all ADN nurses are younger, just out of school, haven't started families yet. At least half in my program are non-traditional students starting on second careers. Many have families already and they are committed to making this work around their busy schedules.

OP, would it be possible for you to live somewhere less expensive? You may also have a better chance of getting into an ADN program at one of the many community colleges upstate. The cost of living is much less, you could find a job in LTC as a CNA - employer will pay for your training - and you could cluster your shifts to give yourself the maximum time to focus on school. Good luck - it sounds like this is a tough situation.

RainbowSprinkles · Apr 1, 2018

Which hospitals in NY state besides upstate or suffolk long island are hiring adn nurses straight out of nursing schools with an adn or at all? Most of my friends who have graduated from adn programs within the last few years get jobs behind a desk/ nursing homes/skilled nursing facilities unless they already worked for the hospital. Everyone in their mother wants to be a nurse in NY making the job market not so great from adn nurses with no experience. Passing a law stating a nurse with an adn needs a bsn within 10 years is only setting the bar even higher, which in a sense is great for the nursing field but leaving some adn nurses on the back burner.

jess.mont, ADN, RN · Apr 1, 2018

Well, Upstate and Long Island are two pretty large areas of the state...