BR NURSE2BEE

It depends on the state and the amount of funding that they have left. WIA is paying all but a small portion for my classes, books and uniforms. I think that it never hurts to try, even if you do get 1,500, that's 1,500 that you didn't have before to pay for school. The process is very long and can take forever but for me in the end it was worth it.

I know the feeling. I'm in my second week of LPN school and the amount of material is overwhelming. I also have to study at least 2-3 hours a day to keep up. I don't think that I worked this hard while getting a B.S. degree!!!

First off, you need to go and talk with a WIA counselor ASAP!!! Here in Louisiana the process takes about four weeks. The program pays for your book, uniform, tuition and other necessities. You may also need to take a test to qualify for the money. I started the process in early December and today I found out that I am receiving WIA funds, so the process can take a long time but stick with it.

You do not have to qualify for unemployment it is just throught the unemployment office here in La.

You could possibly qualify but you need to contact your WIA agency BEFORE you enroll in your program (Here it is the unemployment office).

Have you considered taking your pre-req's in WA and then applying to nursing school at OLOL. (Without going into much detail yes it is hard to get in because they have so many applicants for those 100 spots).

Thanks for all the responses. I just wanted to know if they were putting a cap on the amount given for the WIA grants.

I don't qualify for grants anymore because I have a B.S. degree and the program is slightly more that $10,000 because it is offered at a private catholic college and they have a bridge program for your RN available at the school.

I am starting a Practical Nursing program on January 11 and I was just talking to my WIA counselor and he told me that WIA will only pay $10,000 toward your degree and I would be responsible for the rest. I was wondering if any of you that have WIA grants have heard anything different. Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

I also start my PN program on Jan. 11th and I don't have my books yet either but I do plan to get them before class starts. I have heard that some people carry a medical dictionary to class, I am looking for a pocket sized version.

I will be attending Our lady of the Lake College in Baton Rouge. I'm a little nervous too I haven't been enrolled in school in a while either but I am sure that we will make it. I think it is healthy to be a little nervous because it makes you work harder. Good Luck to you!

I would like to know the answer to this question too... btw/ what program r u starting, I'm also starting my PN program on the 11th.

My program is 4 semesters or 16 months long. I start in January 2010, I'm so excited. I'm sure that the time will fly by, my only concern is the NCLEX exam. I have started reading some of the questions and I don't even know how I will be able to learn all the material to answer those questions properly.

[color=sandybrown]you have to consider the type of program that you are going into (private, cc, tech school) and you also have to keep in mind the cost of living in your area. in louisiana $13,000 is really expensive for 16 months of college where as in a place like ca, it may not be that expensive.

To actually answer your question, I work at a LTC and my employer reimburses us 50% after 90 days of employment with the company.

Congratulations, I also start my Practical Nursing program in Jan 2010

1* what is the overall cost of your program? approximation $13,500 2* if you qualify for financial aide than what is the remaining amount that you have to pay overall? don't quality for tradition financial aid but hoping for a wia grant. 3* what state & city is your school located? baton rouge, la (olol)

Each employer is different and I wouldn't wait for my emplyer to offer to pay for school before I looked into going. There are many ways to pay for your education. You can look into WIA. It is a goverment based program that will assist with the cost of you going to school. Don't forget to fill out a FASFA, this is also money that can assist with you paying for school. None of this money has to be payed back (unless you take out a student loan). This is all contingent on your financial need. Hope some of this information helps.

RN is a general term that is applied to all registered nurses. ADN stands for Associates degree in Nursing however, ever RN does not have to have an ASN. They can have a BSN (Bachelors degree in Nursing) or a Diploma in Nursing. Hope I could be of some help. FYI: RN is a job title not a degree.

Has anyone heard anything from OLOL Baton Rouge? I am also waiting to hear back from them.

Hi jennydavid, I'm also a pre-nursing student and I have the same type of concern about mental health nursing. For some strange reason it just makes me a little nervous but I hope that I can get over that fear before I start clinical.

Thanks for the heads up, I also looked into the schools background and I don't think I will be attending that school but I am still looking for a CNA certification class. Most of the ones in the Baton Rouge area that are free are full and I wanted to start working this semester so that I will have an advantage on my nursing school application for the Spring '10. I was accepted to OLOL on the Alternates List and the only thing that I could think of that prevented me from getting in was the fact that I had no medical experince. So I'm gonna keep looking for a CNA class. Thank again

Hi, I'm new to this site and I am in a similar situation. I'm in the Baton Rouge area and I have decided that I would try to find a CNA certification course so I could get some experience in the nursing field and if I don't get in this semester I will have an advantage in getting in in the Spring '10. I have found out that some nursing homes and hospitals have free programs but most of the ones around here are full. So I am looking into a program in Kenner,La that only take about 3 weeks. Hope this helps.