Paying for nursing school?

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Now, a little background... I've been going to Baker College for about 4 years now. I've gotten my Associate's degree in computer information systems, and am coming up on recieving my Bachelors in the same. However, ever since I got my Associate's degree, I've had an incredibly strong desire to switch into nursing. For the past 2 years I've been telling myself that it is too late now, I am close to finishing so I might as well do it... But the computer field is no longer a field I am at all interested in.

Now, the problem is, I will not have access to financial aid if I were to switch.

So, I was wondering how the lot of you who have/had decided to go to nursing school after already obtaining a degree were able to afford to do so?

Also, would it be worth my while to get cna certification, or should I just look for a job in the computer field?

Oh, and another question... It's been very, very difficult working towards my BA in CIS. I've begrudgingly been trying to move forward with it, but my grades, along with my motivation, are becoming progressively worse. I had been on the Dean's list/President's list throughout my first 2 years up until my associates, maintaining a gpa of aournd 3.8... Since then, it's steadily dropped to a 2.5. I have approximately 10 courses left until my BA... Should I try to finish with this? Would I have an easier time getting into nursing school if I already had a BA (moreso than already having an associates)? I am absolutely positive this isn't what I want to do... Which is why I asked if I should go to work as a CNA.

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There is a Michigan Nursing Scholarship available to nursing students already accepted into nursing school. It pays up to $4,000 per acedemic year, I believe? I don't know if Baker is a college that participates, but since I read recently that Baker gets 20% of all the grant/scholarship money from the state I bet they are participating. I think you really need to boost your GPA up if you want to get into any nursing programs though. I would take those next ten courses you require for your Bachelor's degree and plan to get As in them! Good luck!

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There is a Michigan Nursing Scholarship available to nursing students already accepted into nursing school. It pays up to $4,000 per acedemic year, I believe? I don't know if Baker is a college that participates, but since I read recently that Baker gets 20% of all the grant/scholarship money from the state I bet they are participating. I think you really need to boost your GPA up if you want to get into any nursing programs though. I would take those next ten courses you require for your Bachelor's degree and plan to get As in them! Good luck!

Well, at least as far as Baker is concerned, the Dean of Nursing told me that they would only consider the pre-req's for the nursing program in figuring out my GPA (of which I've only completed 2 classes of the 8 or so pre-req courses and have an A in both... So atm I have a 4.0 as far as the nursing school is concerned, at Baker). And tuition is $750 a credit hour, so finishing through with my current BA is just going to tack on another $7500 to what I already owe, which would just present more of a problem for paying the nursing school tuition fees in the future.

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And tuition is $750 a credit hour

Whoa! That is a stiff amount :eek: !

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In my area you can work two 12's on Sat/Sun at a local hospital, as a cna or tech, giving you part time status, making you eligible for full tuition reimbursement. So people can go to nursing school Monday thru Friday for free on this program. That would kill me, but I could have handled it when I was younger.

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Whoa! That is a stiff amount :eek: !

Whoops. Yes, that would be pretty stiff. I didn't mean credit hour lol. It's $750 per class, and a class is 4 credits, so almost $190/credit hour. Either way, it's another $7500 in the end, and I just don't know that I'm prepared to continue indebting myself that much for a degree that will be seemingly useless.

And thanks for the tip to the other person. Looks like I'll go get certified as a CNA then and see where that takes me.

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As for myself, I got my CNA and worked the night shift at a local hospital to put myself through school. However, with a computer degree, can you get a job in which you work from home? That way you can work before class, between classes, after class, at night, whenever your schedule allows. You'll probably make quite a bit more than a CNA and the work won't be nearly as backbreaking!

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Specializes in MedSurg/Tele.
There is a Michigan Nursing Scholarship available to nursing students already accepted into nursing school. It pays up to $4,000 per acedemic year, I believe? I don't know if Baker is a college that participates, but since I read recently that Baker gets 20% of all the grant/scholarship money from the state I bet they are participating. I think you really need to boost your GPA up if you want to get into any nursing programs though. I would take those next ten courses you require for your Bachelor's degree and plan to get As in them! Good luck!

I'm a nursing student at Michigan State and when I first went to college we called to see about this scholarship....turns out it hasn't been given out since Engler was governer and the program has more or less been discontinued. shame because I could sure use it!

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I'm a nursing student at Michigan State and when I first went to college we called to see about this scholarship....turns out it hasn't been given out since Engler was governer and the program has more or less been discontinued. shame because I could sure use it!

OMG!!! NOOOOO!!!! I"m sooo bummed!

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Why don't you check out the local community colleges. Much cheaper.

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Specializes in CVICU.
I'm a nursing student at Michigan State and when I first went to college we called to see about this scholarship....turns out it hasn't been given out since Engler was governer and the program has more or less been discontinued. shame because I could sure use it!

I was given out to students at my school this past school year. But I found my school (fin aid office and nursing office) did not know anything about it. I kept asking and asking until I found out it was given out. I know at least 4-5 students who got it in my program.

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Specializes in Peds leukemia, APON, GI in a clinic.

Yes, absolutely get started in this field as a cna in a hospital, if you can. I was given similar advice as I began my road to being a nurse, and it turned out to be invaluable. What you will find is that the ability to function within a hospital setting, competently, even as a cna, will put WAY ahead of many of your classmates that never have. Also, you will find out if you really are put together for this field. You will find out if you can handle pts. in pain, vomiting, with diarrhea, with infections and dying. The happy times are easy. Newborns, successful surgeries or successful cancer treatments leave all happy. One of the biggest reasons to work in a hospital is to learn the language. True, we speak english, but getting a start on understanding all the acronyms and abbreviations again puts you way ahead of your classmates. Good luck and go for it!

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