Smart and Poor: What Should I Do?

[AniLMT]

I was accepted to all of the BSN/MSN FNP programs I applied to this year--three of them among the most selective in the country. My thinking was, if you're smart enough to get in, and have high financial need, they'll do whatever they can to keep you in the program. One school even claimed to cover 100% of financial need!

Well, I was wrong. I decided to accept one of the offers and manage to close all but $20,000 with loans, scholarships, grants and a resident assistant position. But, I've got no way of securing that $20,000 without a huge risk because I don't have cosigners and the interest rate on a private, alternative loan would be astronomical.

I am devastated and in a big rut. I could:

1. take the risk, start school, and hope that I get more aid during the school year.

2. wait til next year and apply to other accelerated BSN programs which are cheaper, but still way out of my price range, and that won't offer the same quality of education

3. Go to CC for my RN and pay almost nothing but also have what seems to be considered a "useless" degree in the nursing field after two years' work.

Help?

[Autymn]

EEEEEEEK -- 'but also have what seems to be considered a "useless" degree in the nursing field after two years' work.'

Even though there are changes about, two year AN-RN's are by far the foundation of RN's in the U.S. --- it is in this economy, a very smart move, or at least that is what many current RN's say, including those who have gone on to earn higher credentials and degrees, up to and including specialty credentials. I do understand desiring to attend a well-respected program with excellence as your goal...but I hope it is premature to say becoming a two-year professional RN is a waste .

[soxgirl2008]

I would hardly consider an ADN degree useless....today's economy is bad all around. There are ADN nurses AND BSN nurses who can't find jobs. The hospital I work at recently hired 5 new grads on our floor. All of them except one are ADN. And our hospital pays the same regardless of degree I know it varies by region and hospital how regularly ADNs are hired, but I definitely do not think an ADN is a useless degree.

[JeweI]

I was poor too. I went to CC got my ADN. Paid with scholarships, grants and a small student loan. I accepted a job offer last week. The co I am going to work for offers tuition assistance. Add that to my new pay rate and I will be able to continue on in school to earn my BSN. It's not ideal but I can achieve my goal. I think you are just disappointed right now and it does suck to have the opportunity taken from you because of money. I am sorry to hear that this happened to you. It has happened to me many times but that became my motivation.

[AniLMT]

Thank you all!!!! You've no idea how encouraging it is to hear that. I want to go with the ADN because intuitively it feels like I'll be getting a good foundation without having to sign my life over in blood for my education. I am a self-starter, and obviously, to get into these schools it took a lot of motivation, passion and independent thinking. Those things don't go away just because I'm attending CC vs. an Ivy League (in fact, I got my A.A. many years ago!). I found a really affordable ADN program in a location where I want to work as a nurse, and I told a friend about it who's in a graduate-entry nursing program...she got really defensive and told me that an ADN is worthless----but, I want to work in rural health, with minority populations. My gut tells me that no one is going to turn away an RN in those high-need areas. :)

[DutchRN09]

If you have an ADN you will eventually find something and then you can always keep going, don't go into debt, it is not worth it if you can avoid it.