As the demand for educated and qualified nurses continues to grow, prospective nursing students might wonder how they can afford nursing school now to open their career possibilities over a lifetime.

If you have applied to schools and are receiving acceptances and award letters, it’s time to crunch the numbers to figure out the best choice for your money. Schools offer many awards including merit scholarships, grants based on merit or need, and loans that fall into many categories. You can also make some other adjustments to shave off some costs without impacting your education.

How do you know you can afford nursing school? Here are some questions to ask.

Will You Be a Full-time or Part-time Student?

Some colleges and universities award scholarships based on the student’s academic load. If you are trying to decide which route is for you, check with the schools to see if there is substantially more money available that could impact your choice. Consider your employment potential as well. Part-time status takes longer to complete, but you may be able to work and go to school (and your employer might pay for part of your education).

Where Will You Live?

Living on campus generally costs more money. Attending a college that’s closer to home lets you save thousands of dollars on campus housing and meal plan fees. If you are already living at home, you’ll save by continuing to live at home and commuting to school.

Can You Take a Hybrid Route?

Are there any online courses that cost less? If you are aiming for a BSN, could you take a prerequisite class and some of your basic classes at a cost-saving community college and then transfer to a four-year college to finish your degree?

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What Aid Is Available?

A strong academic record and solid application will likely land you some merit scholarship funding. Like a grant, that’s money the school gives to you. You don’t have to pay it back, but you do need to find out if the award will be renewed each year you are at the school. If you apply to a four-year college, you need to know you can afford all four years.

How Much Debt Are You Willing to Take On?

After any merit or need-based scholarships and grants, you can be awarded loans. Loans always have to be paid back. Federal loans come from the government and while they have to be paid back, they often have low interest rates, and you don’t start repayment until after graduation. If federal loans don’t meet your entire need, you can apply for private loans, which have higher interest rates and varying repayment policies.

What Are Your Post-graduation Plans?

Some nurses can have some student debt forgiven if they apply for and fulfill the requirements of the NURSE Corps Loan Repayment Program. In addition, some states offer specific loan repayment or forgiveness plans for nurses.

Figuring out how to afford nursing school is going to be different for each student, but there are many options and choices available. For many students, finding the right balance just takes some investigating.

 

Julia Quinn-Szcesuil
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