Starting accelerated bachelor program

meljonumd · Jun 18, 2014

hi

Congrats on taking the leap!

I don't have all the answers. I would strongly suggest talking with a financial aid person at a school that you are/will be applying to for your ultimate degree program. Since you do already have what I'm guessing are extensive loans, your situation will be different than someone else's. A key factor is if you have maxed out your loan caps.

What I can give you is some info on what I have done.

I am starting in a 2nd degree program this fall. Last fall, I took 2 classes as pre-reqs at a local community college; as it turned out, I didn't need them; I had been eyeing up a different program which required them. This makes a good point: EACH program has a VERY different list of pre-reqs for application. If you have a few different programs that you are interested in, I suggest you make a spreadsheet to make sure you are meeting the ones you need to.

For these classes, I paid out of pocket. At the community college level, I paid $800 for 2 classes, 1 being microbio with a lab. You'll find a Big variation in per-credit hour. Remember, your eligibility for loans may be limited; seeking out the lowest cost options may be the way to go if you have to pay on your own.

As for financial aid when you would start the program, again it could be possible; the financial aid people would be the best to talk to. I also have a Master's, and I have been offered loans to cover my costs. I would suggest looking at both private AND public options, as there can be tens of thousands of dollars difference in the end. My program is $10k a year. A local one in a private university is $60k.

RunBabyRN · Jun 18, 2014

In general, no, you won't have access to financial aid. That said, I am NOT a financial aid expert in any sense of the word, so I would talk to the financial aid office at your new school.

You can definitely do the prereqs at a CC. Just ensure they're transferable! :)