Student Loans - when to begin?

[NurseBettyICU, ADN, BSN]

I will be applying to Weatherford's ADN program for Spring 2010. Right now I work full time and DH stays home with our 2 kids. I by no means make a lot of $ at my job - we've learned to live pretty frugally.

If I am accepted, I plan to quit my job (I've been dreaming about that day for SO long). The plan is to take out a loan for about what my salary would normally be to get us thru those 2 years (so we're looking at a $50k loan). So it just hit me that I could possibly be starting NS in 7 months. On one hand, that seems like an eternity from now, but at the same time I got a huge knot in my stomach thinking its "only 7 months away"!

My question is (sorry I took the long road to get here), when do you start searching around to find a bank who will just hand over $50k to me? I've never just walked into a bank and asked for a loan before. Once I tell them that I will have no income and cant pay them back for at least 2 years - will they just point to the door and tell me to leave? And if I do find someone to make a loan to me, how long does the whole process take? Would it be a wise choice to start looking now, or 2 weeks before I have to quit working? My credit is perfect, so when it comes to the credit part, I dont think I'll have any problems. But I do have a car payment and a fairly new mortgage. And will they look down on DH not working when they consider loaning to me?

[txmommyof3]

I am looking into getting loans to help live off of while in school also. Hope you get some good information.

Good luck with your application at WC.

[llg, PhD, RN]

You start with your school's financial aid office. They have information on the various programs that you might be qualified for. Don't by-pass them. They may have some scholarship programs or subsidized loans that would not charge you interest until after you graduate.

Step 1: Make an appointment with your school's financial aid office and find out about ALL the possibilities.

Step 2: Apply for anything they have to offer that may give you even a remote chance of getting some help (and not just a loan at full interest).

Don't go with a private loan unless you have absolutely NO alternatives.

Can DH get at least a part time job so that you can some decent health insurance for your family?

[CPhT2RNstudent]

Go for a stafford (sub and unsub) and for sure go for a perkins as it can be forgiven for working as a nurse. Besides that try for scholarships and grants. To get 50K all up front you would likely need to do a private loan as far as I know and they would want to see income. ALso the market has dried up a little. I tried to get 20K from Chase student loans, but my school denied it even though Chase was willing (my wife and I both work for chump change but have good credit). The school for most loans has to approve the loan. They base what you should get for a loan off of your fafsa info and what they consider cost of attendance to be. Even though your cost may be much higher.

Good luck.

Post any info you get.

PS I would suggest working or your husband working if possible. I work 32 hours/week and got all A-'s last semester in nursing school. I would prefer not to work but loans are horrible to pay off and I can't afford to not work or take out loans.

[ImMrBill3, RN]

As above posters said go to the financial aid office. I am at a state university and my loans are all direct from the university and federal. These loans have much lower interest rates that private. I would seriously consider a nursing school that was part of the state educational system. Some of these others seem to be very profit oriented.