New Student needs help...

[tlee2017]

Hi all. I am new here. I will be going into a advanced 2 year nursing problem after I finish my prereqs and CNA 2. The problem I am having is this:

I have already received a BA in Communications and Prelaw from a 4 year university. The financial aid office at the community college I will be applying into contacted me a few days ago and told me that because I have already received a degree I am not eligible for grants and most likely will not be able to receive financial aid. I have been tirelessly applying for scholarships online and through the school. Are there any other avenues beside work study (which I applied for) to help me pay for schooling? I am going this week and will be searching for a part time job in order to bring in some additional money but Im kinda worried it will not be enough??? Any help would be appreciated. :)

[missmollie, ADN, BSN, RN]

More than likely you have too many credits (and a degree) to receive any financial aid. It doesn't hurt to apply for it, the worst that can happen is they deny you aid. That being said, if you do receive financial aid this year, only spend it on what you need and save up for year two. You won't receive financial aid for the second year because you will be over the allowable amount of credit hours.

Should you not receive aid, I would suggest a local community college for your ADN. Some hospitals offer tuition reimbursement for a RN to get their BSN, and you can take that route once you are employed.

[twss2323]

The only thing I'd say is a private loan, but those can have some high interest rates. I don't really have any experience with this, so hopefully someone comes along and can answer better. Good luck.

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

You're not alone. This is the case with everyone seeking a nursing education as a second-degree. There are a lot of threads here on AN that will serve to inform you about the options recommended by AN'ers. But it usually boils down to - 1) pare your expenses to the bone; 2) choose the least expensive program & 3) work while you're in school to pay for your living expenses.