Nursing student loans

[lelliott60]

Hi

I am 52 and have just been accepted into an LPN program. I will be leaving my full time job as a home health aide to start school full time. My school does not accept the stafford loan and I did not have good credit. I qualified for pell grant which does cover almost all the school expenses and am applying for scholarships.

Does any one know if I can get a subsidized or unsubsidized loan (government) to help supplement my income while in school? I am the sole source of support.

Thanks

[eyesopen_mouthshut, CNA]

If Pell is going to cover everything, you DO NOT want to take out a loan, as you'll have to pay it back, and if you have to eat only spaghetti and soup for a few months, that's much better than owing your income to the government for no reason. At your age, you should qualify for unconventional student I would think, or at least, if you went to a university... Which program is it? What is the cost? Do you have any money saved from working FT for so long? Could you go PT at your current job, since it's home health and not at an ALF or hospital? Have you thought about getting a new job at an ALF or hospital, explaining that you are going to school FT for LPN, and asking for a per diem or part time job, and then possibly working for them after you get your LPN? There are a lot of things out there to help you, just have to put in the time and effort.

[lelliott60]

yeah im going prn at my current job the pell covers the cost of school but not the books uniforms testing fees etc. The program is 13 months long and no i have not managed to save anything live paycheck to paycheck full time.

[apina74]

take a loan. i am 39 and working on rn as a second degree. i am taking out additional loans, so what. If you know how much you can manage to borrow and have say 100-200 taken out of your check for student loans at the very beginning after you graduate, you will be fine.