Paying for second degree

[jbrown796]

Hello everyone,

I was recently accepted into nursing school for fall semester (yayyy me). This will be my second degree and I am having trouble finding the funds for school. I pretty much maxed out of my financial aid with my first degree so now I have no idea what to do. I applied to scholarships but I am just waiting to hear back from the organizations. Does anyone have any tips or suggestions? Or has anyone had a similar situation? If so what did you do?

[bluescrubs, ADN, ASN, RN]

You and I are in the same boat. Nursing will be my second degree and I'm already living check to check just paying for the prerequisites. I plan on getting a student loan to pay for everything. The program starts in January *fingers crossed that I get into it* so I still have alittle time to save a bit more before I quit to focus on the program.

[shibaowner, MSN, RN, NP]

Many nursing schools have their own scholarships, so you should speak to someone in the financial aid office. Sometimes you have to apply for these scholarships separately. You should call the military recruiters (Army, Navy, Air Force) to find out the requirements and age cut offs, as they are not all the same. You may need to go to nursing school part time and work full time or part time. Many nursing students work as "techs" or nursing assistants. Another option is for you to become a "tech" and do that for awhile, working for an employer that will pay for your nursing school. A resource that is often overlooked are HRSA scholarships - these pay all tuition plus a small living stipend. Some states also offer scholarships and loans to students who go to an in-state school and then work in the state after graduating. There are also loan forgiveness programs. Maybe you need to wait to go to school until you have your finances figured out. I started my ABSN at the age of 53 and finished my MSN at the age of 56! And I got hired within 8 weeks of graduating.

[nursingstudent757]

I am in the same boat. Did you research grants that are offered in your state(department of education) for nursing students and regular state grants, grants offered by your school? Whatever I don't receive in grants or scholarships we pay the difference out of pocket. I hope this helps.