How do you Survive?

Nursing Students General Students

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How can you guys afford to go to school full time? how do yoy pay for school and living expenses?

How can you guys afford to go to school full time? how do yoy pay for school and living expenses?

I am married and my husband is our financial supporter. I have student loans. I am an older student and have worked a lot of jobs that I don't want to work for the rest of my life. I figured I could make 10 bucks an hour being a retail manager or go into debt and still come out ahead. I still work one day a week at a kids clothing store, but that is just so I can keep my discount.

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Oh my gosh! And all the whiners here in Cali were in tears about the how $11/unit went up to $26/unit. They have no idea how much more others are having to pay for community college. Bunch of cry babies.

I am not whining at all here. I go to an unknown midwestern university. We are on quarters, 4 10 week sessions a year. I pay about $2500 bucks a quarter just for tuition. I once saw a guy on Oprah who said the only things worth going into debt over were a house and an education.

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Specializes in LTC, med-surg, critial care.

1. State of California fee waver (no tuition!)

2. I attend a community college ten miles from where I live

3. savings

4. part time job

5. low car payment

and the biggie..

6. When I left my husband my parents offered to let me stay with them while I finished school. I was 22, broke and had no place to go. I sucked it up and moved back home.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Geriatric, Behavioral Health.

School is THE grind of life, isn't it? Many years ago, I went to school FT, had a FT job, another PT job, and built a house while my wife had her 2nd child. Let's say, I had no life...to speak of. Many obligations and responsibilities to push me forward. But, we got through...and it is just a memory now...well, maybe a blur. But, if it needs done and others are counting on you, you'll do.

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Specializes in OBGYN, Neonatal.

I work full time and attend school full time. I even work overtime some weeks UGH!

VERY hard but I've been doing it for years when i got my AA, my BA and then when I was working towards my MS in Psych and then changed to nursing so here I am again, working full time and going to school full time. YIKES!!!!

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

OHMYGOSH!!!!

I go to Indiana University and pay a whopping $154/credit hr. and that is an ansolute STEAL compared to the private colleges. ($500-700/credit hour!!!)

Kacy

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Specializes in ER/Trauma.

I am attending Ivy Tech in Indiana, it is a Community College, I believe it is 80.30 per credit hour. If I had my preference I would go to one of the IU campuses, but since I am going for LPN first, Ivy Tech is reasonable.

I work full time while doing pre-reqs part time, been saving and paying off everything I can now. In January I am going into "stockpile" mode, hitting Sam's Club to stock up on household and personal items that it wont hurt to buy in advance now while I have the $$. Hubby will work FT while I am in clinicals, but I also don't want him to work double shifts to support us all while we weather this. Clinicals are stressful enough from what I hear so I want to do everything I can NOW to eliminate little things before the time comes.

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$35.00 per credit hour. Community Collages Rule!

$35 per credit! Wow!!!

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

Partial scholarship for my second year.

My church loaned me the money for my NCLEX. Actually they gave it to me, but i gave money back when i made it.

Budget, budget, budget. I wrote down every single thing i spent money on.

Tuition was set up in bimontly payments.

Liability-only insurance.

Generic food.

LESS food (half a sandwich instead of a whole one. toast with no butter, macaroni without cheese)

RARELY going out to eat.

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  • GI Bill
  • Reserve Pay
  • VA Work Study

I am barely making it but I am surviving.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Tele, Peds, LDRP.

glad to see Im not the only one struggling. I work part time, and get very mad at my classmates who dont work and dont understand how or why most of us work. Its called LIFE...lol:) It seems like those in my class who are blessed enough not to have to work through school cant fathom what its like for us regular folks. HELLO, I dont work because I want to or because its a hobby...there are things called car payments and utilities that wouldnt allow me to attend school if they werent paid bc I wouldnt have electricity or transportation...hahaha.

Im feel blessed that I live with my fiance who pays for most of our expenses, but he cant do it all. otherwise, Id be working full time instead of part time. Also, luckily I got a scholarship for my LPN program so I only have to pay for books,lab fees, and uniforms.

At my school they dont give out student loans so I dont have that option.

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Specializes in Emergency Dept, M/S.

Man-o-man!! I'd love $35 per credit hour!! I LOVE my school, but I'm paying $615 per credit hour. :o

I have to belt-tighten this coming semester. I'm buying a condo, have no job, 4 kids that I'll have 1/2 time custody of with my ex, and still have a 2 1/2 commute each day. Loans and grants and scholarships are my best friends, as are coupons and cashing in some stocks. I know it will all be worth it in the end, but for now - it's tight!

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