Nursing programs...what to do?

[37yroldstudent]

I'm 37 and have worked in an unrelated field for the past 15 years and am finally taking the first steps towards a nursing degree. I live in CA where you can, 1.) pay over $40k for a private, for-profit vocational school, or 2.) try my luck in the lottery system.

I'm a 4.0 student but that doesn't give me any kind of edge over the 2.5 students because the schools here are all on the lottery system...I don't have years to wait around! But I also don't have $44k to spend on the private vocational school.

Which is the better route? Go into debt for the rest of my life but get my degree sooner or spend years waiting for my number to come up in the lottery system?

Any advice?

[kenpochic]

i would never spend 44k on nursing school. thats too much for a nursing degree. i say this only cause it will take way too long to pay it off. you are a good student try looking at some other schools perhaps a little further away. you know within a 100 mile radius. maybe you can move and get an apartment just while your in nursing school. this way your still close and u dont have to rearrange your life. gettin into a school with your gpa should be no problem just gotta find one that isnt a lottery drawing. you can do it. dont get a loan too much stress that i feel you can avoid since you have a great gpa.

[jewelspassion]

hi, i also thought and went to those kind of schools also, it's nuts how much they charge and a lot of them want someone who has done absolutely nothing so most of them you have to start from scratch.

i would be patient and apply to as many schools as you can, the truth being there are no easy ways into nursing school, i recently deferred my seat and start this coming Fall. I've been waiting for so long due to my husband's job moving him around so it stinks but yeah i would find a competitive program around most definately, i also have a really good overall GPA and it doesn't really pay off with all these non-competitive programs so yes you have to wait.

Hope this helps, Good Luck!

[Jules2113]

Where in California do you live, not exactly but NorCal, SoCal, etc?

[2ndyearstudent, CNA]

Which is the better route? Go into debt for the rest of my life but get my degree sooner or spend years waiting for my number to come up in the lottery system?

Any advice?

Move to a state where a 4.0 puts you at the front of the line?

[KCMedicRN]

Look at going for a BSN at one of the CSU's. Most often they use a competitive application process versus a lottery. I applied to my local CC which is a lottery and CSU Bakersfield and was accepted to CSU Bakersfield my first shot! They weigh heavily on Pre-req GPA, math/science GPA, TEAS score, interview. They also give points for being a California resident and a resident to their service area. Also, it is a 21 month BSN program so your done faster then most community colleges. I think this is accomplished by the year around schedule.

[grasshopper7780]

You could look into accelerated second degree BSNs, that is what I am doing. They are more money but a BSN is becoming increasingly important. There is also alot of $ in scholarships, you just have to put in the effort to look for them and apply. Its takes time but I have a friend who was able to get some $ every semester by hunkering down and applying for as many as she could find that she qualified for.