why is school sooo expensive

Pneumothorax, BSN, RN · Jul 17, 2011

if possible, see if u can file your taxes (if u have a job) as an independent-- you'll get more financial aid money that way

& i have no idea why school is so expensive but it'll all be a memory soon :)

kitty222 · Jul 17, 2011

im in the same situation, i wasnt accepted for the workforce fund , and financial aid pays too little, in top of that im not working and i have to pay the school 2000 before i graduate, havent been accepted to any scholarship, and didnt know about the state nurses student fund ( CAN YOU TELL ME MORE ABOUT IT ) i live in florida, where can i apply :) thank you

IUstudent · Jul 17, 2011

im in the same situation, i wasnt accepted for the workforce fund , and financial aid pays too little, in top of that im not working and i have to pay the school 2000 before i graduate, havent been accepted to any scholarship, and didnt know about the state nurses student fund ( CAN YOU TELL ME MORE ABOUT IT ) i live in florida, where can i apply :) thank you

not all states have it but mine does...(indiana)

the only reason i havent done independent because then my mom can get a parent plus loan (if approved).. which they have in past...& i reeealllllly dont want to get private loans

patiently-waiting · Jul 17, 2011

I feel the same way I have spent about $1000 so far on uniforms and books ( not even all my books) so I def feel your pain . And although.I get financial aid its all loans so in the end I'm just going to owe any way. BUT just think in a few years none of this will matter and when we get our jobs as nurses we won't have to worry about funds and u might even be able to.take care of your mom and pay her.back for all.that she does for you . So cheer up and vent often I find that makes things easier and remember you are soo not alone .

cbc1147 · Jul 17, 2011

Hey I feel your pain. I go to school in Texas and its a private christian university and I pay over $12,500 a semester and yes, still had to pay for all my extra uniforms, background/medical (shot) requirements, equipment, books (which for us is well over 1400 bucks per semester for the first two semester. So I feel your pain. How I am able to do this?

1. Apply for any and all scholarships you can get your hands on. I have had numerous scholarship administrators tell me that people do not apply for the scholarships (big company/state ones, or even small local groups) and so they do not exhaust their scholarship funds. Every single scholarship I applied for I received.

2. If you can apply as an independent student (emancipated from your parents income) it will help you substantially. To be emancipated you have to have been married, joined the military, or have had a child. If any of these apply to you, then you can file for a professional judgement at your financial aid office. This is where they look at your current situation outside of your FAFSA financial resources and make a judgement based on your current financial standing.

3. Loans, its a necessary evil in nursing school. Relax, breath, its ok to take a loan out to attend nursing school. Its an investment in your future. Just borrow smartly and borrow only what you need. Alot of hospitals out there (at least in Texas) have student loan payment programs where they will pay a certain amount of student loans per year while you work at their facility. Look into your area and see if there are programs that can help you with loan repayment to take some of the pressure off of you.

4. Don't stress the small stuff. You are about to enter a new realm of stress and headaches, if you start your nursing school tour, worried and freaking over the expenses, its going to wear you out and you will lose faith in yourself and question if it is really all worth it. It is worth it, so do what you need to in order to graduate, because it will all be better on the other side.

PM me if you have any questions. Id be glad to answer anymore you have.

healthstar, BSN, RN · Jul 17, 2011

Schools and hospital= business

kitty222 · Jul 17, 2011

Hi cbc1147 can you tell me where to apply for nursing scholarships because i have applied before and never been accepted, what am i doing wrong?

cbc1147 · Jul 17, 2011

youngnurse:

I have applied for my nursing schools scholarship, TG Charley Wootan Grant program, and a local nurses auxiliary group scholarship and have received them all. Everyone of them required an essay 200-500 words long. Here is an example of one of my essays. I was told I was picked because of my originality and my writing style which seemed sincere and not just written with a traditional answer students think they expect. Its not perfect so critique lightly. haha.

PHSSN Nursing scholarship.

What it means to be a nurse to me and how will I contribute to the field as a new nursing professional?

A murse is defined by the Urban Dictionary as a male nurse, a minority in a woman dominate career. In the movie Meet the Parents, Gaylord Focker portrays a male nurse who chose to be a nurse when society thought it more prestigious to be a doctor. To me, being a murse is more than a job or a career. It is an adventure, a lifelong learning process and most important: it is a calling. It is a want to holistically care for your patients and make a difference in their lives. I knew I wanted to be in the healthcare field since I first worked on an ambulance as an EMT. Touching the lives of others in a positive way is the perfect paycheck for your soul; it provides a spiritual treasure greater than anything you could receive on a traditional level.

The future of health care is constantly evolving, and will continue to do so. This means I must as well. That is why I will continue my education and become a Family Nurse Practitioner. In doing so, I can better care for my patients with my advanced knowledge. I have a commitment to this profession and my education. I also implement a fun, positive attitude towards my desire to care holistically for my patients. These factors make me proud to call myself a murse. That is why I reject the social stereotype of men as doctors. Knowing that I am needed in someone’s life and will make a difference in their life brings a smile to my face which empowers me to be the best nurse I can possibly be.

33762FL · Jul 17, 2011

Why is school so expensive? Because years ago congress decided that anybody with a pulse was eligible to borrow tens of thousands of dollars for tuition, all guaranteed by the government. With tens of thousands in credit at every student's fingertips, schools raised their prices because now every student could "afford" college. It's like if the government said every person could borrow $50K to go on a Disney cruise regardless of credit history or future ability to pay, everybody would be borrowing the $50K and going on the Disney cruise, which would suddenly cost $50K or more.

But to answer the question of how you can start sorting out your own school financing problems, you really should go talk to your mother about all this. It sounds like you're young and she's the one who filled out the FAFSA, so your aid depends on her financial situation. Tell her what's going on, see if you and she can go to the financial aid office together and talk to the staff about some options for you.

IUstudent · Jul 17, 2011

Why is school so expensive? Because years ago congress decided that anybody with a pulse was eligible to borrow tens of thousands of dollars for tuition, all guaranteed by the government. With tens of thousands in credit at every student's fingertips, schools raised their prices because now every student could "afford" college. It's like if the government said every person could borrow $50K to go on a Disney cruise regardless of credit history or future ability to pay, everybody would be borrowing the $50K and going on the Disney cruise, which would suddenly cost $50K or more.
But to answer the question of how you can start sorting out your own school financing problems, you really should go talk to your mother about all this. It sounds like you're young and she's the one who filled out the FAFSA, so your aid depends on her financial situation. Tell her what's going on, see if you and she can go to the financial aid office together and talk to the staff about some options for you.

It's not that we don't talk about it all... Trust me we are always talking about what we need and how much it's going to be and why we just can't seem to have any luck with getting scholarships or aid. I just don't want her to know I'm stressed out to the point where I'm bawling over it.... And we have met and talked to financial aid numerous times and the answer is loans and go on fast web for scholarships. That really helps? Ha but I mean I did well in school so I could get scholarships based on my gpa (3.95) but still haven't received any.

33762FL · Jul 17, 2011

Okay, I see. I had read your original post and it sounded like you didn't want to tell your mother at all about the financial aid issues, but that is not the case.

Have you tried ethnic scholarships? If you are a minority there are private scholarships you can apply to based on that. Even if you're not a minority, some consulates have scholarships for people with a background from their country, and that may be something to look into if you've got any unusual aspect to your ethnic background. A decade ago when I went to college straight after high school, I got thousands per year of free scholarship money when I applied to the consulate of a very small European country (where not many Americans had an ancestor) b/c I had a grandfather come from there.

Sometimes smaller civic organizations sponsor scholarships. Do you have organizations like Knights of Columbus and that sort of thing active in your area? They gave scholarships where I grew up, you had to apply and write an essay but the money was free. Generally they are in areas with an Italian Catholic population, so if you're in a part of the US where they don't have that see what civic organizations are in your area instead, and if they offer scholarships.