sigle mom of two, worried about bills while in nursing school

[sarax]

dear all,

any advice i could get will be greatly appreciated.

here is my situation:

- i am in the nursing program waiting list, i just applied.

- i am a single mom of two (3 and 1) now, but when starting nursing school

they'll be 5 and 3. i am in the process of separating now.

- i didn't work for 4 years, was stay-at-home mom.

- i have bachelor's degree in ba, never worked in my field. i already used up

my fasfa grant loan and i already took student loans which i haven't paid

off yet.

- my credit score is not good (due to loans & credit cards).

- got no family support

i know that i cannot be working while in nursing school.

i am very worried about bills (rent, utilities, day-care & etc...)

when i start nursing school.

i am not even sure if i can take another student loan for a second degree.

i love science and helping others; i feel nursing is for me and i love school

but i am worried about expenses.

i am thinking to have a home-based babysitting service, that

way my kids can stay with me (save on day-care expenses) and make

enough income to survive. but i'll need to do this babysitting at nights, since

i'll be in school or clinical rotations during the day. what do you think? is this a

good idea or what?

i am assuming clinicals are always done during the days, please tell me if

otherwise.

thanks all.

[bethanphetamine]

It sounds to me like you need to sit down with a financial counselor. Hopefully they can help you plan a way to pay off some of your debt and save up while waiting on nursing school, if you choose to wait. From what I have been told, if you have a job during nursing school, your job must work around your school schedule. On another note, there are many nursing scholarships out there that may help cover your tuition and other expenses. Some even pay a monthly stipend as well as pay for all school related costs. I know the Army National Guard also pays a monthly allowance during the last two years of nursing school as well. Of course all of these generally require a commitment after school is done, and you would have to figure out if you can follow through on those. But they are options. Also remember that many new grad ADN and even BSNs are having a lot of trouble finding work.

I would also recommend sitting down with the financial aid counselors at your future nursing school and discussing your options. A single mom is usually qualified for certain grants and scholarships.

[sarax]

Thank you!