MeganJBear

I'm using private student loans to pay for daycare. My federal and private loan $$ gets sent to the school, they take out tuition and other school fees, and the remaining money is deposited in my checking account on the first day of each term. From there I write a big check to the kids daycare. I have found that there is plenty of money available to borrow, you just have to be careful because it adds up quick. My kids will both be going to public elementary school in a few years, and instead of paying the daycare center I'll be paying back loans I used for daycare :)

The original poster specifically stated $44 in private loans. Very different than 200+. As for me, I AM in an undergrad program, but its my 2nd degree and my tuition is 17k per year for 3 years. I was able to pay off my first degree and I will be able to pay off my second degree. I created a budget- I know my expenses each month and I have a good idea of what my income will be when I am working again. I know exactly how long it will take me to pay off this debt and as I mentioned before I do have a solid emergency fund in place. Student loan debt is not always a bad thing- you just need to be smart about it and have a plan. Personally, I would not borrow 250K just to get an MSN, so we do agree there!

I am taking out private loans to attend a well ranked school and don't regret it at all. The previous poster was a bit dramatic, you can have school debt and still buy a house! For me, I was totally unhappy in my previous career and had always wanted to do nursing. You only get one life to live- so is being happy and following my passions worth 50K in loans? Absolutely. In addition, the increase in my salary x 30 years of working will more than make up for the interest I am paying. Shop around for a good rate and have a plan. I have some money in savings to cover any emergencies that arise, and I have a realistic plan of what my finances will be like when I graduate and how much I will be able to put towards the debt. I am married so being able to count on my husbands salary does help, but my point is the same... Good luck!

Im in my second term of a BSN program with a 8 month old and a 3 year old. I have full time daycare for both kids Mon-Fri (7am-6pm) although I'm always able to pick the kids up by 5pm. My classes are Mon-Wed, 9-noon or 1-4pm depending on the day. Thurs and Fri are clinical days, so the schedule varies but so far its been between 8am-5pm. Full time care is essential because it gives me the freedom to attend classes and get some studying done. I also study every evening after the kids go to bed until 9 or 10pm. and I try to study for a few hours on weekend afternoons. Its a big sacrifice, but do-able. I'm either studying or playing with my kids- no time for anything else. I keep reminding myself that although these 3 years are hard, once I'm a nurse I'll be able to be there so much more for my kids.

I'm excited to be joining you at the Portland campus! I loved the earlier quote about feeling like you won the golden ticket- thats totally how i feel. Have you all taken Microbiology? I was looking at the schedule of classes from last year and it looks like Micro is a pre-req for the 2nd term classes. I'm thinking I'm going to take it this summer so that fall term will be a little less overwhelming. Might as well get back into the swing of studying I suppose!

Got my OHSU letter today. I was rejected from everywhere else so I'm shocked to say they accepted me. I'm so glad they got letters out earlier than expected- the waiting was torture. I had a 3.8 GPA for my prereqs.