Paying for school

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I've come to the realization that if I try to do this going back to school thing out of my own pocket + the paltry tuition reimbursement I get from the hospital, I will be near retirement til I finally get my Master's degree.

Does anyone know of any good resources for scholarships/grants? I tried looking through the different forums and didn't see anything that looked like it would address this issue. Google search yielded spotty results. Some of the apps. want all kinds of community service, which is kind of hard when you are working full-time and going to school already.

Any suggestions from those who have BTDT?

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my parents paid for my tution and in return i had them move in with me and send them on vacation every year to different parts of the world (thanks to my american express rewards points)

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That's nice, but I'm looking for suggestions regarding navigating grants/scholarships, etc.

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Specializes in Med surg, cardiac, case management.

Contact the financial aid departments of any school you might be interested in. They would probably have fairly complete listings.

You do realize that most nurses take out a substantial number of loans? Scholarships and grants are great, but I'm not sure if you'll find them sufficient...

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Specializes in Infection Preventionist/ Occ Health.

I feel your pain because I am in the same boat.

There aren't many scholarships or grants for graduate school- as the financial aid counselor at my school said "The primary responsibility for funding post-secondary education in this country falls with the family". You can always look at http://www.fastweb.com for national scholarships.

I would investigate subsidized and unsubsidized Stafford loans and grad PLUS loans if you feel that you can't pay out of pocket. I would also ask whether any of the professors have teaching assistant or research assistant positions open for the fall. Most are about half-time (20 hours per week) and offer tuition remission, a stipend and sometimes health insurance.

Good luck with your graduate studies.

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Student loans were the only answer for me. Will be paying of 20k+ in loans for a while, but I made it and it was the only way.

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Hi. The only way I could do it was with loans. Otherwise, forget it. I will be paying back loans until I am in my 50's (I am 34 now and this is my second degree). My other career field was nuts and I really like Nursing and Medicine and so was a good move for me. I hate the idea of paying off school loans until I retire, but my husband and I are going to remortgage the house and we have no kids and not many other bills. So it will be "doable" for us and I'll still have $$ left over at the end of the month. Do what you have to do...... I also check regularly for scholarships and grants. I am getting two at my school this semester for good grades and the fact that I go to school in-state. It stinks, but it was the only way for me... GOOD LUCK!! E

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What field are you looking at once you get your Master's? That might be the way to go--- search for organizations related to that field. For example:

http://www.cancer.org/docroot/RES/content/RES_5_2x_Masters_Degree_Scholarships_in_Cancer_Nursing.asp?sitearea=RES

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