Consider an LVN program at a community college, then an LVN-RN bridge program also at a community college, incuring zero debt. This is what I am doing. The LVN program is 1.5 years and the bridge program is one year and should be at least easier to get into than a full RN program. With the long lotteries to get into an RN program I should finish doing it this way at about the same time or earlier...fewer pre-reqs for the LVN program and a micro class later its into the bridge program. I couldn't imagine a debt of 30K on a job earning under $20 per hour....for a nursing program in a good economy, perhaps, but not for LVN, especially in a poor economy. I am going to Mission College by the way which offers both programs.