how are you paying for nursing school? or how do you plan to pay for nursing school?

[mashamontago]

anybody?

[Athenas83]

I got a scholarship, not much when compared to the cost of tuition though. So the brunt of it is getting paid by loans. It'll be worth it in the end.

[donsterRN, ASN, BSN]

I qualified for Federal grants.

[BostonRN2B]

At first I thought I was going to take money out of my 401K, use some of my tax returns....but I decided to borrow it all (federal student loans). There are hospitals here in Boston that have loan forgiveness as part of their benefits package.

[SummerGarden, BSN, MSN, RN]

I saved up for 5 years to pay for tuition and books as well as to pay off a lot of debts not including past student loans. I am currently paying cash for my ADN (I am in nursing school) and BSN (pre and co reqs). I work two jobs in the summers and part-time during the school year to keep up with expenses. So far, so good. :) I will possibly have my current hospital employers pay for my MSN in full but for now I do not take any money from them other then my pay check because nothing is for free. There are contracts tied to any funds except those from grants or scholarships. GL! :)

[pfongk]

my A.I.N (I think that's the equivalent of CNA) I'm paying for as I start each unit. My EN (LPN?) is a traineeship and when I finally get into my RN I can get some government loan type thingy.

[icuRNmia]

Scholarship, scholarship, scholarship! Can't stress that enough. Some hospitals will pay for your tuition and books if you commit to working for them a year when you are done. Also, Federal Stafford Loans are great for the much needed income. Private loans are okay too, but the interest is higher. You can choose to defer your interest pmts and pay nothing for loans while you are in school. There are lots of scholarships out there that go unclaimed, apply!

If you have any questions, usually your university office of financial aid should help you with federal loans, and your nursing school will help you with scholarships. To apply for a federal loan you must fill out a FAFSA with your previous year tax returns. That is the first step, your school can't do anything without that being done by you. You can do it online.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

I financed the entire amount of my schooling with a Sallie Mae private student loan.

[Satori77, ADN]

For those that got scholarships, where did you apply? What are some good ones? And if you did loans, do they go by your credit? I would qualify for a loan because I am married, have two kids, and don't make much money at all, but my credit is only ok, and I would hate for that to affect me getting a loan. (there is no way I could pay for school on my own at this point).

[Piki]

Student loans. I didn't qualify for grants b/c I already have 2 degrees.

[np_wannabe]

Fortunately, my dh gets a bonus every January from his employer. When I start school this January, I will save what I need out of his bonus to pay for school, books, tuition, fees, etc (his bonuses are pretty consistent each year). It is VERY important to me to get through nursing school without owing anyone my money or my time.

I've already used student loans to pay my way through college once--never'll do that again!

[moosiesmom]

Just another plus to working in a hospital setting. Tuition assistance is wonderful. You have to be part-time but they pay 100% of the class 9excluding fees). They are paying for my pre-reqs too. Not for books though, but you can sell them back. I know where I work they bend over backwards and pay more for "nursing school". The percentage goes up. It is like $1,800+ a year for part-time and more for full timers. But who can work full-time. Plus you get a bonus if you get a high GPA at the end. You still have to pay a portion but not much. Some young nurses I know wish they had gone that route, especially the BSN girls. Taken pre-regs first etc. A CNA job is a good deal. Hope this helps.