Paying for Chamberlain and working full time?

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Hi, ya'll! Long time observer, but this is my first post.

I've been completing pre-reqs at a CC with plans to apply for the fall 2017 program which would be four semesters long, full time. I just need to take one more class in the spring and the TEAS. However, I'm looking into Chamberlain as a back up due to the extreme competition at the CC and long wait lists at other public/state schools. The higher cost in the long run would honestly not bother me if I could have by BSN in 3 years (or less since I already have many pre-reqs). Based on the pre-reqs I have completed, I am estimating about 70k-75k for the tuition.

My questions are...how did you all pay for Chamberlain? All government loans, private? Anything out of pocket while in school? Does Chamberlain have a direct payment option to them? I have filled out my FAFSA, since you can now do it as early as October. This is my result:

Based on the eligibility criteria you may be eligible for the following:

Direct Stafford Loan Estimate - $9,500.00

You may also be eligible to receive other federal, state, or institutional grants, scholarships, and/or work-study.

In addition, you should learn about federal tax benefits for education Tax Benefits | Federal Student Aid, including the American Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC)

My other concern is, is it possible to work full time while attending Chamberlain full time? Taking 2-3 courses at a time would be doable for me, but I understand that they are accelerated. I have taken four 8 week summer courses at the CC, online and traditional, and made A's. I'm currently a massage therapist, working evenings and weekends. I can make enough for living expenses and $300-$400/month towards tuition if I can continue working about 30-34 hours a week. I do not have children and live with my SO.

I've been doing a lot of research on Chamberlain, but the actual financial concerns are the only thing holding me back. I'm waiting to hear back from and advisor for a tour soon. Any advice or guidance would be very appreciated! :)

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Whether or not you can work totally depends on how well you study and how much time you need to complete assignments. There is a lot to do and a lot of studying. Classes are fast and almost all learning is done on your own plus group projects and papers. That said, plenty of people have successfully worked and gone to Chamberlain. The important thing is to have schedule flexibility and extremely good time management and study habits. Flexibility is important since you do agree to not work if it interferes with your schooling. They will not change a schedule around your job needs. You will have to do clinicals and/or sim labs on weekends at times.

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Thank you for your reply. I am prepared to not have control over the class/clinical schedule. I think any program will call for some extreme time management. As far as the schedule, are you given one, even tentative, within good time to plan?

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Specializes in GENERAL.

OP:

The financial concerns are the "ONLY" thing holding you back. You will now get loaned up to the teeth.

That's what all for-profits like Chamberlain (DeVry) do. The student loan business is their real business. Everything else is window dressing.

Forget the big-deal BSN if by paying 75K (books and bogus fees) included. This expense will never pay off.

Thes loans are poison if not used extremely judiciously. They are not dischargable through bankrupsy and if you do become a nurse the servicing of this loan will disallow you to have a life outside of paying them off.

In other words: no house, new car, marriage with ability to take care of children, etc.

Scale down have patience and save money and get a ADN as cheaply as possible. This way as a nurse if you feel like it you can get your employer to pay for the BSN through tuition reimbursement which many hospitals offer.

Remember it's all about independence and better you should be a free poor person or working ADN than one enslaved to debt peonage and the Wall Street loan slobs.

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This is why I was asking about working full time while in the program. I do not want to take 6+ years to finish a BSN going at the snails pace I have for prereqs. Especially since I'm getting burned out by doing 1 or 2 classes at a time now with no light at the end of the tunnel yet. If I were to go full time at a state/public school, there's no way I could comfortably work doing 5 classes at a time. So, taking out loans to live on, plus the uncertainty of not getting in is holding me back from there since it would amount to nearly the same in loans... plus I wouldn't be working to offset some things out of pocket. I'm so conflicted. I'm about to turn 24 (I know, not old), but being in school that long seems so undesirable, especially since I've been doing it for almost 2 years already.

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You'll get eight weeks of schedule at a time.. and you'll sign up for that schedule anywhere from 1 week to 1 month in advance. I know they were trying to extend that time to give people more notice but I graduated before they managed it. Things occasionally can get shifted at the last minute if there's an issue at a clinical location.

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Thank you! If I end up going to Chamberlain, I'd like to talk it over with my employer for scheduling. This info will come in handy, even if it's not set in stone.

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I was reading your post and had the same exact question except, mine was working part-time MWF 9-5. Wondering if class schedules work around this?

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