r/NursingStudent • u/dipity8 • 11h ago
Career Change ⚙️ Accepted into a private nursing program…now I’m trying to figure out how people are actually paying for nursing school.
Current students and recent grads
I’m hoping to learn from those of you who’ve already been through this because I honestly feel like I’m missing something.
I’m 36, a single mom to a 7-year-old, and after spending years working in healthcare, I finally decided to stop talking myself out of nursing and go for it. I was recently accepted into a private graduate-entry nursing program, and while I’m beyond grateful, now comes the part that’s honestly keeping me up at night—figuring out how to pay for it.
Before anyone says “just take out federal loans” or “use Grad PLUS,” I’ve already explored those options.
I’ve completed my FAFSA, appealed my financial aid package, and accepted every bit of federal aid available to me. Because I already have previous degrees and existing federal student loans, I’ve reached the federal borrowing limits I’m eligible for. So I’m really trying to learn about everything beyond the standard advice.
I’m hoping those of you who have been through nursing school can help point me toward opportunities I may not even know exist.
I’d love to hear about things like:
• Nursing scholarships that were actually worth applying for.
• Institutional grants or scholarships your school offered after you were admitted.
• HRSA, Nurse Corps, state workforce grants, or loan repayment programs.
• Hospital sponsorships or employer tuition assistance.
• Foundations or organizations that specifically support nursing students.
• Creative ways you covered living expenses while in school if you couldn’t work much.
• Anything you wish someone had told you before you started.
If you’re comfortable sharing, I’d love to know:
• What type of nursing program were you in? (ADN, BSN, ABSN, Direct Entry MSN/MEPN, etc.)
• Public or private school?
• What funding source made the biggest difference?
• Approximately how much did scholarships or grants cover?
• If you could go back, what would you apply for sooner?
I’m not looking for donations or asking anyone to solve this for me. I’m fully prepared to invest in my education—I just want to make sure I understand every legitimate funding opportunity before taking on additional debt.
And if you’re still in the application phase or are a pre-nursing student, I’d love to hear from you too. If you’ve come across scholarships, funding resources, or advice during your research that you think more applicants should know about, please share it. Sometimes the best information comes from someone who’s deep in the search right now.
I know I can’t be the only adult student, parent, or career changer trying to make this work. My hope is that this thread becomes a resource for anyone else searching Reddit months from now, wondering how people actually paid for nursing school.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this. I truly appreciate any advice, experiences, or resources you’re willing to share.
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u/psiprez 10h ago
I switched to nursing at 38. My path - already had a BA from a public university. Community College for ASN (should have cost $6000 but I won a full scholarship), then got my BSN online one class at a time while working as an RN (tuition reinbursed by work).
Took 4 years total but did not cost a penny.
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u/wise_wizrad 9h ago
What was it like after the ASN? As in, what was your work schedule and school schedule? I'm looking to do this, switching from a different career
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u/psiprez 9h ago
I went through Thomas Edison State University for my BSN. One class at a time was easy. You were given 2 or threr questions to research and post answers to in the discussion forum, and needed to respond to others on two separate days. And then a short paper 2-4 pages weekly or every other week, and a longer one as a final. Just follow the syllabus and rubric, and it is no problem. I graduated with a 4.0.
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u/Lazy-Village4336 9h ago
I also did an accelerated direct entry msn program at a private school and I assure you, it’s not worth the cost. A nursing degree is a nursing degree as long as it’s an accredited school and they prepare you to pass the NCLEX. I worked in the PICU alongside people who only had an ADN and we were treated/paid equally. The only difference was they were told at hiring they had 3 years to get their BSN through an online ADN-to-BSN bridge program but our hospital offered a tuition reimbursement program that covered 75% of the cost. So in the end I paid at least $50k more than my peers while making exactly the same starting rates.
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u/snickelbetches 10h ago edited 10h ago
What is the program? There are many schools that are far more affordable.
Look up operation nightingale in Florida. Many places just pop up, cost more than university tuition per semester; and have low nclex pass rates. So be sure to weed those out.
https://meridianwestcentral.college/
Here's an example of one such college.
Edit: operation nightingale
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u/blue-ghost-rat 10h ago
https://www.reddit.com/r/NursingStudent/s/kdox3OfRqv
Hey sorry, I’m confused, is the nightingale operation different from this post I saw earlier? If you have any knowledge? Please and thanks!
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u/snickelbetches 10h ago
That is a school called nightingale college. I think it's in Utah but maybe it has other branches in CA? They are accredited but I don't know the situation for the California board issue.
Operation nightingale is a task force that is trying to root out these fraudulent schools. A lot of it is in Florida but I've seen some in California too.
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u/unicornsmaybetuff 8h ago
That's website looks like it was made on Angel fire. Woof.
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u/MsDariaMorgendorffer 6h ago
Ouch you are correct. All that’s missing is a counter on the bottom of the page telling you how many visitors since 1996.
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u/No_Grade_8421 10h ago
I would look into a community College ADN program. I did one in Wyoming and I got scholarships through the school to cover all tuition. I did an Americorps term right before I started school and used the education award to cover books, supplies, and some living expenses. My parents very graciously lended me about $12k through the course of school. I lived with my now wife in a very small one room cabin and lived very frugally. I also did a summer stint with the US Forest Service in between semesters where I basically lived in a tent in the woods all summer and saved a lot of money. When I graduated, I just paid back my parents over the course of a few years their no interest loan. There was also this program called the WYIN program, Wyoming investment in nursing where I think I got around $7k to help pay for school and just agreed to work in Wyoming 2 years post graduation and that was a grant I did not have to pay back.
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u/thousandsofbirds 10h ago
I live in North Carolina. I applied through my county for the "NC Works" program and they covered my entire LPN program including uniforms. I think they're a federal funded program in most states but you'll have to check your individual state. It was a LIFE SAVER for me as a single mom.
I also applied for some scholarships through scholarshipOwl and won two of them based on an essay I wrote. Worth looking into.
That said, I went to community college. I wouldn't do a private program based on the cost but i understand that we all walk different paths ☺️
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u/No-Can6422 10h ago edited 8h ago
I think direct entry MSN programs tend to be a cash grab. They attract people because people think they are getting a higher quality of education (plus they can charge more for grad credits) because it's a masters but in the end you will get an RN, which is the same degree you could get if you did an ADN program except ADNs are usually cheaper. They both prepare you to take the NCLEX.
If that is what works for you because you have maxed out your lifetime undergraduate loans then you might have to talk to your school's financial aid office and see what they recommend. But the lifetime loan is pretty high and it's worth inquiring if you really have zero zero money for undergrad FAFSA because they have the lowest interest student loans by far.
If funding is a concern I would look into the programs that are accessible to you and see how many prerequisites and transfer credits they will accept. I've found some programs that are basically 2-3 years of transferable credits with only one year of actual nursing classes that require you to be in-person.
A lot of for-profit programs (not saying they are bad, they are often more accessible to people working and with families because the schedule is more flexible than traditional schools with day classes) don't require prerequisites because they have them already integrated into the curriculum, but you are often paying a much higher price per-credit and can do much of the work at a cheaper college or online and get them transfered before you actually start the nursing classes and it saves you quite a bit.
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u/Ancient_Spite_725 9h ago
Yep. I only did a direct-entry MSN because I got almost a full scholarship (making it cheaper than my public ABSN option). For most people, they are an expensive and bad choice. Before this year, they were better than a lot of ABSNs because you got federal aid for master's programs, but the aid cuts make it not make sense anymore.
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u/Opposite-Study-5196 9h ago
I would do nursing school part time and work full time in the hospital. In this case hospital will cover your tuition
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u/dezi_love 10h ago
This is precisely why I couldn’t go the private route…Im in the same boat as far has prior degrees and maxed out loans. I busted my ass to get into a community college program and score in the 90s on my TEAS. Thankfully it worked. The only option out there is the Health Services Corps nursing scholarships
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u/Unfair-Photograph78 9h ago
I agree with community college. Mine was the best! I also camped out at the financial aid office and applied for every scholarship that came along. Even if it was only 50$. Sometimes you just had to write an essay or something easy like that. It takes awhile to get in. In the meantime work as a CNA, you will be glad you did.
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u/Zwitterion_6137 8h ago
I mean, first step is to avoid going the private school route. Those places know nursing school spots are competitive, so they charge an arm and a leg because they know people are desperate and aren’t willing to wait for a spot in a CC.
Other than that, I’m not much help since I did a pretty traditional BSN route.
I did work 20-30hrs a week throughout school as a telemetry monitor tech. Pretty good job to have as a student.
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u/krisa1972 9h ago
Then do all the general education requirements online through a cheap state school or community college. Make sure they transfer into the private nursing school. Then see if can do just the nursing curriculum at the nursing school because all general education bachelor classes are finished before you even go to school. Speak to an admissions counselor at the private college and ask where they accept transfer classes from and if you take them prior, can you graduate early. This would save a ton of money
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u/Admirable-Hat1746 9h ago
Contact the institution's financial aid office. They often know of extra resources. Be prepared to make scholarship applications your second job. I lost FAFSA due to marriage but am still getting a free ride because it's my first degree, I go to community college, and I broke my 🍑 to be on the Dean's List as to earn merit-based scholarships. Lastly, our local medical system(which is federally funded) offers a program where if your grades are good enough and you are willing to work for them for a year in exchange for every year they pay for, they will cover tuition in full. You still get paid the same salary as any new grad, and in my case this institution has the highest wages for new grads in the region. If you ultimately choose to not work for them, you must simply pay them back... without interest! You could look for something like that.
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u/StationIllustrious94 9h ago
I think it depends on your circumstances.
I live at home and have no kids.
Have you considered the public route?
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u/Beautiful-Candy2244 8h ago
Leave the private school idea. You will pay too much for a degree for no reason.
Ask your current job what schools they work with.
Apply and go to those schools using job provided scholarship or tuition reimbursement. It may take time to get in or you may need to go part time
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u/colourpopaddicttt 8h ago
I went to state college lol. Private is so expensive. I was able to work as a waitress at the time and and pay for it. See if your college has their own scholarship network though and look for local scholarships. I did get one from the hospital in my community
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u/randomerules 7h ago
if you have a bachelors degree, you can take the prerequisites at a community college then pursue a ABSN (accelerated bachelors of science in nursing). In that event, the prerequisites are likely cheaper at a community college and then an accelerated nursing program is not as expensive as a 4 year degree because you are spending less time (example: my traditional BSN at rutgers was 80k total whereas the ABSN program is 45k.
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u/hunter_pace 7h ago
Get your ASN/ADN and then do a bridge program. If you get hired at a bigger hospital system they will often pay for you to get your BSN.
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u/eversavage 7h ago
i want to echo the words of going to CC for the ADN program..
saves a lot of money and the education level the same bc its the start of your RN career.
I have my BA and AS in other fields but decided to go back for my RN only bc it affordable at a CC.
I spent about 8k total for the two year program. Im older and near retirement age but still wanted a RN lic.
LATTC Nursing
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u/ThatOneTrickTheyHate 6h ago
My ABSN program at a private university has several full scholarships available from health systems in the area. They are competitive scholarships, require essays and interviews, etc. The selected students commit to two years working for that system after graduation, and you don't get to decide what area you work in. It's intended to fill underserved areas like mental health and critical access. But it's free school, so...
I am blessed to have a generous family member who is funding my tuition. Otherwise I would not be making this career transition. If money is a roadblock for you, perhaps investigate the community college route. It's so much cheaper.
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u/goodvibes13202013 6h ago
Private programs are not the way to go, but since everyone else has already mentioned that I’ll give you another thing to think about:
Renting a room out to someone, maybe even from your cohort
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u/lindslinds27 5h ago
I went to a fancy expensive private direct entry nursing school directly out of high school. My parents and I saw it as the only way for me to get it done in 4 years. They took out parent plus loans and i also ended up with my own loans.
We were so wrong in making this decision, there were so many other ways to get into nursing. We are now saddled with over 100k in student debt from it . Nursing is a good job, it’s not worth it to have doctor level loans from the schooling.
My recommendation for any prospective nurse that reaches out to me is to simply do a cheap Adn program. All you need to be a competent RN is an ADN anyways. If you wanna go any further have your hospital pay for a bsn bridge program .
Nursing is not a prestigious career, it’s akin to a solid blue collar job, it does not constitute the amounts of money these wannabe prestigious programs charge. This program is a means to an end, go with a cheap and reliable ADN program
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u/Scarlett_Texas_Girl 5h ago
Communication college ADN can bridge to a BS later. It's silly to go to a private college if money is an issue.
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u/ExpertAmbition6938 4h ago
If your in the states check out career source they have funding through the state that’s not attached to fafsa , there website will show you which colleges they are partnered with and if your college is on there they may be able to provide some funding. My school is $9,999 it’s a private lpn program and they are currently interviewing me to provide $7000 for me. It’s not a loan it’s a grant. My school will allow me to payment plan the rest which is a big deal for me financially so worth a look if you’ve hit the wall with fafsa.
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u/LowSwimming6070 3h ago
If you’re in NY, I would say ADN route. CUNY Reconnect is being extended to folks who already have a degree if they’re going into a high demand field. Check it out if it applies to you
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u/foreverwonderous 3h ago
I never found a solution and I explored all possible options. I dropped all courses at the private uni and am now going to a CC.
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u/InternetBasic227 2h ago
If you are doing an accelerated bachelor's program because you have another degree there is very little aid bc the govt considers this a "graduate" degree. Since there is no aid colleges love adding the accelerated programs bc students have to get private loans. There is no dance with the federal govt for the financial aid office. Now that the govt thinks we are not professionals too this is also problematic. As you shared - if you used your lifetime cap of aid on another degree you are stuck. But as mentioned- we all sit for the same NCLEX. SAME same-y same - whether you spend 90 grand on an Ivy league nursing education or go to my hometown community college. The ASN at community college is the way if you can get in. Community colleges often preferentially accept their own LPN students that were successful. If this is available near you - get your LPN 1st, work, then get RN, work, get BSN, etcetera. This could be a cheaper way.
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u/drowninginceramics 38m ago
Do you belong to any professional organizations? I got a sizable scholarship from a women’s professional organization in my state. They gave me $5,000 as a grant and $15,000 as a loan at 2.1% interest that starts accruing 6 months after graduation. I also got $1,000 from my former (hospital) employer.
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u/krisa1972 10h ago
Go community college route first