I got accepted but low on funds

LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN · May 31, 2016

Did you fill out a FASFA ?

Did you contact the school and see if there are book credits you may be eligible for?

Ask look into contact in former graduates to see if they have used uniforms, if the school didn't change their uniforms.

Also look into borrowing your textbooks from the library as well.

barcode120x, RN, NP · May 31, 2016

I had some classmates (younger) that were low on funds from previous schooling or just in general. Not particularly in the same situation as you, but they went ahead and pulled out student loans. No one likes pulling out loans in general, but nursing is an investment and if you have the passion to seek it through, it will pay off in no time. And, if you got into a community college's nursing program, it won't be as expensive as a private school or a university so you wouldn't have to get that big of a loan. My classmates that did pull out loans ended up pulling out extra for savings and rainy days throughout nursing school. What about close family and friends that you can ask for some help?

HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD · May 31, 2016

It's going to be OK. Your first priority should always be your family. If you need to postpone your education for a while, it's not the end of the world. Talk to the admission coordinator & explain your situation. They may be willing to give you special consideration for next year. In the meantime, do what you need to do to maintain stability for your family.

Wishing you all the best & powerful job mojo for your hubby.

Pdxstudent · May 31, 2016

Did you fill out a FASFA ?
Did you contact the school and see if there are book credits you may be eligible for?
Ask look into contact in former graduates to see if they have used uniforms, if the school didn't change their uniforms.
Also look into borrowing your textbooks from the library as well.

Those are all great options! I'll look into that! And yes, I did fill out the fafsa and was approved for financial aid but I don't know yet for how much. They should be sending out award letters later this week.

The unfortunate part of it is that even if I have school 100% covered, if my husband can't find a decent full time job soon, then financial aid won't help. We already went through our savings and are pretty close to falling behind on bills. My husband wants me to just focus on school and let him worry about the rest of it but I can't imagine going through nursing school with the added stress of wondering if our bills will get paid.

Pdxstudent · May 31, 2016

I had some classmates (younger) that were low on funds from previous schooling or just in general. Not particularly in the same situation as you, but they went ahead and pulled out student loans. No one likes pulling out loans in general, but nursing is an investment and if you have the passion to seek it through, it will pay off in no time. And, if you got into a community college's nursing program, it won't be as expensive as a private school or a university so you wouldn't have to get that big of a loan. My classmates that did pull out loans ended up pulling out extra for savings and rainy days throughout nursing school. What about close family and friends that you can ask for some help?

Well I will certainly be having financial aid paying for school (and it is a community college ADN program so much cheaper) but I might have to look at private student loans to help as well just for living expenses and such. I know it will pay off in the long run. It's just a frustrating situation to be in...not knowing what will work or how it will work.

Pdxstudent · May 31, 2016

It's going to be OK. Your first priority should always be your family. If you need to postpone your education for a while, it's not the end of the world. Talk to the admission coordinator & explain your situation. They may be willing to give you special consideration for next year. In the meantime, do what you need to do to maintain stability for your family.
Wishing you all the best & powerful job mojo for your hubby.

Thank you! I did talk to the nursing administration and if I decided to decline this year then I would have to reapply next year along with all other applicants...so no special consideration. I did get in once so I'd like to believe it could happen again, but it's risky since it's so competitive. In the end I will do what I have to to take care of my family. Thank you for the good vibes for my husband to find a job!!

Hmoss4 · Jun 1, 2016

Take out loans. After you see what you will be getting in financial aid calculate what you will need for the rest of school. Then calculate what you could get buy on at home each month. add it up request a loan. just remember your loan is split into two, one for each semester. Have your return sent to a separate account. my school offers separate debit accounts. when you get your return use that money only for the bills you planned. This is what i have had to do the last 2 years of school. It sucks being in dept but its the only way i could make it work. Good luck to you and congrats on your acceptance!

Pdxstudent · Jun 1, 2016

I did just find out today that I won a scholarship! :) It's enough to pay for about 2/3 of tuition this first year. I'll find out soon about financial aid and then see where I'm at for the rest of it.

AspiringNurseMW · Jun 1, 2016

I did just find out today that I won a scholarship! :) It's enough to pay for about 2/3 of tuition this first year. I'll find out soon about financial aid and then see where I'm at for the rest of it.

I am also in a ADN community college with 2 small children, although my husband does have a stable job and I work part time, I feel like we are always on the brink of financial disaster.

I take the max aid that they offer, scholarships, federal grant, state grant, and both subsidized and unsubsidized loans. This means I usually end up with about 2-3000 in refunds per semester that the school mails to me after it processes. However, I usually don't get the money until about 1 month before the semester ENDS because they take their tuition first, and the grants don't come until later in the semester.

I have spent quite some time combing through FastWeb.com, a site that lists scholarships galore. The ones that are worth it require work (essays, reference letters, etc). A few even require that I joined certain nursing organizations as a student. I did, and I think I just might have won one worth $5000! I should find out this or next week!

While it doesn't change my max aid, it does mean I can take on less to no loans and still get the same refund.

It Takes Quite A Bit Of Budgeting, And The Crockpot And Freezable Meals Are Me Best Friends For Both The and Budget, But It Can Be Done.

Also, I Don't Know Why My Phone Keeps Capitalizing Every Letter. Please Disregard, lol

LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN · Jun 2, 2016

I did just find out today that I won a scholarship! :) It's enough to pay for about 2/3 of tuition this first year. I'll find out soon about financial aid and then see where I'm at for the rest of it.

That is GREAT news!!! :D

Congrats! :up:

Leonardsmom,LPN · Jun 2, 2016

I did just find out today that I won a scholarship! :) It's enough to pay for about 2/3 of tuition this first year. I'll find out soon about financial aid and then see where I'm at for the rest of it.

Congrats on the scholarship. Depending on what you get offered for financial aid from your school, if it is based off of last years earnings ask them about filling out a special circumstances appeal for more aid. By doing that for last school year I was able to get my full pell grant amount along with my full amount available for loans. It made a huge difference on what I was able to get especially. Also check to see if your school has a women's resource center that may offer grants to women or adults returning to the workforce. They are usually financially based which you might be able to qualify for because of your family's current situation. You might also qualify for some childcare assistance if your school offers it. Good luck!