How to Pay for Nursing School, Career Near Me

How to Pay for Nursing School, Career Near Me

If you've decided on a career in nursing, then your next step is probably figuring out how to pay for nursing school. In addition to paying for tuition and book fees, student nurses are also responsible for lab fees, uniform fees, personal health insurance and required immunizations, and other costs that don’t apply to most students. If you need assistance, there are a variety of loan programs, grants, scholarships and work repayment programs that can help you pay for nursing school, whether pursuing an RN designation or a degree.

Method 1 Applying for Grants and Scholarships.
1. Research scholarship and grant opportunities. Search the internet for reputable scholarship and grant opportunities. If you’ve already applied and been accepted to a nursing program, start with its website. Your college program’s site will likely offer helpful links that compile opportunities and offer helpful information about applying.
Check the financial aid resources listed on the website of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN): http://www.aacn.nche.edu/students/financial-aid
Remember, the more scholarship and grant money you can accumulate, the less you have to pay out of pocket and the less debt you have to pay back in the future.
2. Apply for nursing scholarships. With a shortage of nurses in certain sectors of the medical field, there are a number of public and private organizations that provide scholarships for nursing students. Some scholarships are designated for students looking to earn a bachelor's or master's degree in nursing, so read descriptions carefully and only save links to relevant opportunities.
Keep in mind that hundreds or thousands of students apply for major national scholarships.
Try applying for local scholarships as well, as they will have smaller applicant pools. Individually, they might be smaller, but you can build a considerable sum of money by winning several of them.
3. Apply for nursing school grants. Look into state government-funded grants for nursing students. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services sponsors a number of grants to help in-need students pay for nursing school. Other, private grants may require you to have reached a certain level in your education (such as completing one semester of your program), or may require that you agree to work for a specified time in a particular area of nursing. However, you don’t have to repay any of the money you’re awarded out of pocket. That’ll help you graduate from a nursing program as debt-free as possible.
Professional nursing organizations may also offer grants.
4. Stay organized and keep application responses handy. Once you’ve researched scholarship and grant opportunities, make a calendar or use a calendar app that specifically lists application deadlines and other important related dates. Once you’ve applied to a few, keep any digital files saved on your computer, or make copies of applications that had to be submitted in writing.
List dates in your calendar in advance of application deadlines, or set reminders to work on an application. Give yourself reminders to begin and complete applications several days before they’re due.
Keeping application info, from basic info to essay responses, will help streamline the process so you can maximize the number of applications you send.

Method 2 Consulting with Your Program and Financial Aid Office.
1. Discuss financial aid options with your nursing program. As you apply to and are accepted into a nursing program, talk to anyone you come into contact with about financial aid. Look at your program’s website for financial aid info that’s specific to the program. Look for the contact info of relevant people, such as the program director or the department’s student advisors.
Ask them about local scholarship opportunities, work-study programs, and how other students commonly pay for that particular program.
2. Inquire with the college financial aid office. Talk to your college’s financial aid counselors about securing aid and about the process of paying for nursing school. If there is federal financing available, the office will instruct you on how to apply. Federal aid is usually a loan, so you will need to repay the borrowed amount.
If you’re applying for a program in the United States, fill out a FAFSA, or Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Your school will provide you with information about deadlines. https://fafsa.ed.gov/
3. Join your local National Student Nurses’ Association (NSNA). Once you’re enrolled in a nursing program, don’t stop looking for scholarship and grant opportunities. Continue to make yourself a winning applicant by joining your local NSNA chapter. You’ll have access to great networking opportunities, it’ll look good on your resumé or to any opportunities you apply for, and you’ll be informed about grants and scholarships available for enrolled student nurses.
Take a leadership position in your local chapter for even more networking opportunities, to learn more, and for a resumé booster.
Your nursing professors will provide you with information about how your program participates in the NSNA and other relevant organizations.
4. Join Sigma Theta Tau or your school’s nursing honor society. In addition to joining your school’s NSNA, find out if your school has a local chapter of Sigma Theta Tau, which is the international honor society for student nurses. If not, find out if your college participates in another nursing student honor society, and how to get accepted into it. Keep your GPA up, and once again, take a leadership position if any are available to make yourself a more appealing enrolled applicant for scholarships and grants.

Method 3 Graduating with as Little Debt as Possible.
1. Ask a family member to borrow money. Being indebted to a family member at a very low or zero rate of interest is definitely preferable to being indebted to a federal loan servicer. You can avoid a lengthy application process and years of outside debt if you have a family member who’s in a position to loan or give you the money needed for school.
Any loan agreement, even those between family members, should be put into writing.
2. Seek part-time work that can help you pay for some of the costs. Most nursing programs are very demanding, and you’ll need to devote your focus to completing your coursework, externships, and clinical rotations. If you can manage it, consider obtaining a part-time job to cover part of your tuition, living costs, or other expenses, especially one that’s relevant to your studies. Various private and public hospitals offer jobs for student nurses as Undergraduate A.I.N. (Assistant in Nursing), which is also helpful for the course itself.
Speak with your program’s advisors or look for on-campus part-time work.
Look for doctors in need office help. Check listing online, in classified ads, or visit offices in person.
3. Use an interest-free or low-interest credit card. If you can access a credit card with a minimal interest rate, use it to pay for tuition, books and other expenses. Use a rewards or cash back card to earn rewards off the amount you charge to the card. If a grant and scholarship awards are only paying partial tuition, and if you have good enough credit, you can potentially access an interest rate lower than what you’d pay for federal student loans.
If you’ve been awarded a total financial aid package that only covers part of your tuition, consider using a card to pay off the rest.
Be careful of high interest rates when using a credit card. Don’t end up paying more money than necessary in the long run due to high interest.
Be aware that after graduation you will need to pass the licensing test and gain employment. There could very well be a few months between graduation and your first nursing job, so be aware of when you'd be responsible for any loan or credit card repayments.
4. Find out about work repayment and student loan forgiveness options. When you’re applying for nursing jobs, consider getting a job that offers loan repayment or forgiveness options. This type of financial aid requires that you work for a particular agency or within a particular field of nursing, such as end of life care, for a certain number of years. In return, your employer offers a repayment option once you begin employment.
Look for federally funded programs, such as the Nursing Education Loan Repayment Program.
Look for local programs that also offer work repayment and loan forgiveness, such as state health departments.
5. Join the military. In addition to public health service, military service can also offer full forgiveness of federal student loan debt. Debt forgiveness programs for public and military service often include consolidating loans to renegotiate a smaller monthly payment. After 120 on-time monthly payments, the remaining balance is forgiven.

Community Q&A.

Question : I am a CNA certified and am trying to begin a career in nursing, where do I start repaying?
Answer : Call the Financial Aid office at the Nursing School. They will help guide you about what financial aid forms you should fill out. These include grants, low interest federal loans, and other sources. Also check with your current employer--ask if they pay part of advanced education (usually in return you agree to work there for X number of years).

Tips.

This instructions are most applicable to paying for nursing school in the United States. Consult your nursing program for more help paying for nursing school outside of the United States.
Practice completing a FASFA every year regardless of your plan or intent to pay for school. Many scholarships require a FASFA be complete to apply.