How to survive through school $ wise

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Right now I am leaning towards the private schools like appollo or some others, as I dont want to wait for a long time to get accepeted into nursing program at cc.

I know that it is more expensive to go to a private school, but I would rather have loans than waiting yrs & yrs to get my nursing degree!

I am still going to do all my pre req's through community college (mainly via online). I 'd like to eventually get my BSN, but that probably wont be until after being an RN for a few (and having where I work pay for it).

My question and it seem to be bugging me when I try to look at it realistically down the line is:

How can you make it through school financially?!?!

Unless, of course, you have a support system-like a spouse or family member you can stay with.

I am 26 and currently have a full time day admin job. I dont have the luck of being able to live with family and I dont have any friends that would let me live with them either.

I understand there is no way to go to school & simutanesouly hold a full time job!!

I just dont see how I would be able to pay my rent, gas, bills, ect.

This makes it a bit discourgaing.

I want all my focus to be in school and I have heard/read that the RN program needs 100% attention.

I cant have a night job and try to hope to make passing grades and even have an attention span for absorbing all that vital info one needs to learn and understand!!!

What or how can anyone do it?

Is it even possible??...lol:uhoh21:

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

Many of us have worked full time while attending school successfully. Its not easy but it is possible. Those of us in my class that work get grades as good and sometimes better than the people that don't. I also went to a community college to get my ADN which helped keep costs down. Best of luck to you!

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Specializes in Pediatric Critical Care.

The only thing I can say is that I'm up to my eyeballs in debt. All medical bills, tuition, books, and uniforms...

Many states (NC, at least) has programs that will pay for your college as long as your promise to work in that particular state for the same amount of years as they paid for your college.

In NC, it's called the Nurse Scholars Program. You may want to look into that.

Good Luck! ;)

Daniel:twocents::twocents::twocents::twocents::twocents::twocents::twocents::twocents::twocents::twocents::twocents::twocents::twocents::twocents::twocents::twocents::twocents::twocents::twocents::twocents::twocents::twocents::twocents:....does that help?

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Specializes in Ortho, Neuro, Detox, Tele.

The two hospitals in town offer medical scholarships....one pays ALL expenses towards NS, and one pays 5,000. They require one year service for each year you accept money.

I personally have about 18,000 in student loans. I work 36 hrs a week (at night), as a tech at the hospital, but still study at work, on break, on free time. I also try my best to do what I can in my life, when I can. I work with 3 girls that go to school, and work days. It CAN be done if you want it badly enough.

I wanted all my focus to be on school too....first semester....then I grew up and realized that C=RN. You have to sacrifice, and you may have to give up that full time admin job and change into a new field just to make things work.

GL to you and keep us posted.

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.
I wanted all my focus to be on school too....first semester....then I grew up and realized that C=RN. You have to sacrifice, and you may have to give up that full time admin job and change into a new field just to make things work.

Excellent points. Like many others I had to accept that my 4.0 in pre-reqs was a thing of the past and now I'm very happy with most Bs and a few As.

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Where do you live? Not all public schools have wait lists - BSN programs don't in most areas, and at least one CC in my area doesn't (the one that my coworker got into right away). I am lucky in that I'm married and I was able to quit my job last semester, otherwise, I'd be working weekends on top of loans to get through my accelerated program. There are two types of jobs (that I know of) that work for people in nursing school. One is working for a hospital in any capacity for which you're qualified, since many offer both tuition reimbursement and odd hours if you need to get all yours in at night or on the weekend. The other is the service industry - my former career. You can wait tables or bartend at night or on weekends too, and you can usually work as many or as few hours as you need to. I put myself through college the first time that way, and stayed in the business for the next 5 years after I graduated. The pay is much better (if you're good at it) than most hospital jobs, but they don't get you experience in health care, and most don't offer tuition reimbursement.

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im planning on living off of loans/scholarships and working weekends as a waitress just to help out a little bit. I am expecting 60K in debt before scholarships (which I am applying for every single one I get my hands on).

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Hospice.

I cobbled together finances from various sources.

Since I didn't decide to start school until September (which is too late for getting FAFSA money), I sold everything that I could live without on Ebay to pay for my first semester.

I got my reward letter in time for the second semester and received a Pell grant. I took out subsidized Stafford loans too. That got me through the first year of pre-reqs and then the first semester of nursing school.

I applied for scholarships. The hospital I wanted to work for ended up paying for my last year of nursing school in exchange for me working there for a year.

I also got money from a state fund, in exchange for practicing nursing in an area with a nursing shortage for a year (fortunately, there is a nursing shortage where I live).

When I graduate with an ADN, I will have a little under $4000 in school loans and the hospital where I work will help pay for an RN-BSN program, which I hope to start after taking a couple of semesters off.

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I am taking out loans and praying i get an okay very part time job. NURSING SCHOOL IS NO JOKE! i dont know about the BSN program but the 2 Year program is already kicking my butt! AND ON TOP OF THAT IM BROKE HAHA (its not really funny ) :idea:

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