I was nearly in the same boat a year and half ago and I have one more semester to go. Two word pray and study :) 1. Attend every class and clinical 2. Be on time 3. Try not to be too verbal 4. Read daily, stop when you are no longer retaining 5. Practice NCLEX questions according to which section you are going over 6. My husband and I had to rely on a miracle every month from God to help us pay our bills because nursing is my second career. I took out stafford loans and private loan from Salliemae. In addition, maybe you can work as a CNA on the weekends or after your first semester of school you can work as a student nurse tech (snt). Student nurse positions varies depending on hospital. For example, I work at the VA and they allow their snt a very flexible schedule whereas other hospitals may want you to work 12 hr shifts and penalize you if cancel due to a test. Good Luck!!