Rent, car, school... how did you pay/manage?

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hi guys, have i mentioned how thankful i am to have found this place? It has brought my moral way up and now i have confidence about my future. thank you. Anyways, i just wanted to ask those that have finished nursing school and are nurses about the cost of going to school and living expenses. This is my situation. I'm 24 years old and currently live with my mother. I'm very greateful for that. But the situation is that me and my mother don't have a "mother/daughter" relationship because she didn't raise me, my aunt did. I moved from another country to live with her and i've been living with my mother for the past 7 years. It's been up and down. For the past several years, i've felt uncomfortable living with her. I just feel like i've failed so many times in my life that she's just looking at me "what are u doing?, what's next? move out? be a grown up? do something? I've let my weight get in the way and i've just isolated myself. The more i isolated myself, the more i ate, the more i felt ashamed to go out and be "somebody." i was lost at school, didn't know what i wanted, etc... So this is the image she has of me. This is the image i had of me till recently. Now, i'm determined to lose weight, and take control of my life. I have decided that nursing is what i want to do. I'm feeling positive and i'm working hard on healing myself and the image i have of myself. The problem is my mother still sees me as the person she saw for many years. It brings me down so much. I hate feeling like i'm a failure. She's tapping her feet, waiting for me to make a move. At first i thought, since i'll be going to nursing school, i'll just stay at her house (low expense) and just try to get out of her way for the next two or so years. NOW, i swear i feel much better when i sit at the park and leave the house. I Feel myself.

SO, (sorry for the rant, just wanted to let it out...) my question is this... HOW did you guys do it all? (rent, school expense, etc...) I mean did you have an overnight job while you were going to school during the day? IF your single/supporting yourself, what did you do? I would love to move out but i have no money at all... please advice me. thank you very much. P.s (i'm single no husband/boyfriend support money wise)

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My parents bought me the car and paid for everything else, except school tuition...I have loans. :) Just don't be afraid to take loans for school, it is worth it.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

Hey, there. Here's a hug. (((HUGS))) I've been struggling with the ups and downs of my weight since my late teens and during the majority of my adult life, so I know all about the isolation that one occasionally feels when being overweight. Every time I lose pounds and drop down to a normal weight, I almost always regain the weight plus I pile on some additional pounds. While I love my parents, they are alienated from the academic world and, therefore, have not been supportive of my schooling goals in the past. Hence, I tend to limit my discussions about school with them.

I've been to nursing school twice: the first time was for an LVN program five years ago, and the second time was for an RN program last year. I was single with no kids and living alone during both times as a student. Since my parents are suspicious about anything pertaining to school, I could not count on them for any financial help, so I paid my own way.

Prior to enrolling in the LVN program, I was a working at a dead end job at a factory for three years. While the money was good enough to amass middle class comforts such as a house, car, and savings, I wanted something else, so at age 23 I took the dangerous plunge of quitting the factory job and enrolling in the full-time 12-month LVN program. I paid my bills with unemployment checks and, when the unemployment ran out, I tapped into my savings account. I was buying my own house at the time and rented out two of my spare bedrooms to roommates for extra cash flow. I completed the LVN program at age 24 and worked as an LVN for several years before enrolling in an RN bridge program at the very beginning of 2009.

While attending the RN program, I worked 16 hour weekend double shifts as an LVN at a local nursing home. The 32 hours per week was enough to pay my mortgage, car payment, other bills, tuition, and partial rent for an apartment near the school (I lived and worked in Texas, but the RN program was located 225 miles away in central Oklahoma). I spent my weekends working in Texas while attending school during the week in Oklahoma. It all worked out because I graduated in March 2010 and passed NCLEX on my first attempt in May 2010.

When there's a will, there's a way. You sometimes must take the path that appears less worn. Good luck to you!

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I start nursing school next month :eek:. I have all of the money from my tax refund in a savings account and I have been contributing money to my "school fund" every chance I get. I don't qualify for any grants or anything so all expenses are going to be out of pocket for me. I'm going to get all my books online so I don't have to pay the outrageous bookstore costs. Not much I can do about tuition costs, though.

I know living with your mother is probably hard. I don't have a good relationship with my mother and frankly, I could NOT imagine having to live with her again. But, it might be best for you to try to stick it out to save on housing costs.

I forgot to mention that I will also be working a 72 hour shift on the weekends at an assisted living facility.

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My parents bought me the car and paid for everything else, except school tuition...I have loans. :) Just don't be afraid to take loans for school, it is worth it.

My school doesn't participate in student loan programs :uhoh3:

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Specializes in ICU.
My school doesn't participate in student loan programs :uhoh3:

Schools don't get any say in private education loans. Check with banks to see if you qualify...some people need a cosigner if they have bad/no credit history.

OP, I go to class in the mornings and then work 3p-11p. It gives me a somewhat regular sleep schedule and a full-time income.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
My school doesn't participate in student loan programs :uhoh3:
I obtained a Sallie Mae private student loan to finance my LVN program tuition. These loans can be originated regardless of the school's participation in government student loan programs. Also, Chase offers private student loans.
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Get a job. That's how you do it.

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It IS possible to work on the week-ends but there is a LOT of studying to do in nursing school.

ANYONE can get a federally funded stafford loan. It has nothing to do with which school you go to. They are guaranteed, no matter what your income is or if you have a job or anything else. I know a lot of people say don't go the student loan route, but I could not have survived without them. It takes a lot of stress off of you and there is plenty of that to go around.

I would say try to get a week-end job and also apply for guaranteed government stafford loans. If you are going for RN you will easily be able to pay them off once you start working.

I currently just graduated with my FNP and accrued 95K in loans.(included my BSN and FNP) I went to work for a Federally Qualified Rural Clinic and will have 100% of my loans paid back. There is always a way.

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Specializes in ED.

Speaking as a step-mother to a college grad and a nursing student here....

If you are just starting back to school and still have pre-reqs to complete, you can probably still manage a part-time job. I think you should try to stay at home so you can save some money.

I'm saying this because I truly wish I had done this 20+ years ago when I was in college for the first time. I thought I couldn't stand another moment in my parents' home so I opted to get an apartment with a friend and we went to the local university. I couldn't keep up with my rent and bills and found myself taking fewer and fewer hours in school and when I did go to class, my grades suffered because I liked making money more than I liked studying and going to class. I eventually dropped out and I have regretted that ever since.

If I had to do it all over again, I would have gotten a loan and financial aid and not worry about working so much.

Once you are in nursing school, you may find that you don't have time for a job. The grants and loans will really help with that.

A few years ago I found myself separated from my husband and I bought a new house for my daughter and me. I was working as a REALTOR but that really wasn't paying the bills because it wasn't steady income. I decided to go back to school. The decision wasn't easy. I had saved enough to get me through my year of pre-reqs and I worked and sold a few homes too so that helped. Once I got into the program, I had to give up the career and focus on school.

In my situation, I have a house payment to worry about but I'm otherwise debt free. Luckily, my dear mother is paying my house payment while I finish but I had to also apply for loans and grants to help pay for groceries and to keep the lights and TV on. I was able to get enough to live off of but it isn't easy and I've really had to budget. It CAN be done.

If I were you, I'd stay with your mother and not have to worry about the rent and expenses. Nursing school keeps me very busy and away from home a lot of the time. As a group, we often study at my house but you could always tell your mom you are at the library or at someone's house studying. Nursing school is a huge commitment and reducing your stresses is really key. I'm guessing you are thinking that your MOM is a stressor but maybe you can keep yourself busy enough with school that you can avoid her if necessary.

I'm sorry if my post is disjointed, I think I have a migraine coming on. I've been working nights this summer.

meredith

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It IS possible to work on the week-ends but there is a LOT of studying to do in nursing school.

ANYONE can get a federally funded stafford loan. It has nothing to do with which school you go to. They are guaranteed, no matter what your income is or if you have a job or anything else. I know a lot of people say don't go the student loan route, but I could not have survived without them. It takes a lot of stress off of you and there is plenty of that to go around.

I would say try to get a week-end job and also apply for guaranteed government stafford loans. If you are going for RN you will easily be able to pay them off once you start working.

I currently just graduated with my FNP and accrued 95K in loans.(included my BSN and FNP) I went to work for a Federally Qualified Rural Clinic and will have 100% of my loans paid back. There is always a way.

I just went to the website to see if I could apply but after putting in my info, it told me to contact my schools financial aid office...

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My school doesn't participate in student loan programs :uhoh3:

Oh no. I can't even imagine what i would do if my parents couldn't help me, now my husband is taking over. With all my heart, I give lots of credit to those people who are single mothers, full time employees, and full time students. I don't think I could do it. I barely work ( part time), and I still find it difficult to manage time.

Why don't you get a private loan from banks? Many banks do give out loans to students. Good luck and big hugs~

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