How To Pay For Nursing School
This article is going to help you figure out how to pay for nursing school.
If youre like most pre-nursing and nursing students, figuring out how to pay for nursing school is not easy.
The cost of higher education continues to skyrocket out of control. This has left a lot of pre-nursing and nursing student nervousness. For good reason.
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Nursing Loans And Loan Repayment Programs
Possibly one of the next best options for nursing students is the possibility of a tuition reimbursement, loan repayment or nursing loan program. Your state government could be giving out low-cost nursing loans with possible repayment in exchange for a few years of your time as a nurse working in a medically underserved facility after you graduate.
Some states are giving out these types of nursing loans, and loan forgiveness to students willing to become Nurse Educators and teach in a state nursing school for a few years. You can thank the nursing shortage for lucrative programs like these.
Perkins Loan Cancellation For Nurses
Full time nurses can receive 100% forgiveness if you received a Perkins Loan while in school. The unique and great thing about this loan cancellation program is that both the principal debt amount and the interest on the debt will be cancelled.
Of course, as you might have already suspected, you do have to provide service in order for your Perkins Loan to be cancelled. Currently the government provides the Perkins Loan Cancellation for nurses who are working full-time providing direct care to patients.
If you are a nurse but currently not providing direct care to patients – example in a Case Manager or another administrative role – you will need to contact your school/state department of education to find out if your role qualifies.
The process can take up to 5 years to get 100% loan forgiveness and another benefit is that each year, a fixed amount of your loan is cancelled even if you are not eligible for some reason in subsequent years.
Years 1 and 2:
30% loan cancellation
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Indian Health Service Scholarship Program
The Indian Health Service Scholarship Program includes several different grants for students of recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribes. The Preparatory Scholarship covers tuition and fees for students who enroll in accredited colleges and universities and take prerequisite courses for medical fields such as nursing and medicine.
The Pre-Graduate Scholarship awards grants to students who are majoring in fields including pre-nursing, pre-medicine and pre-dentistry. The Health Professions Scholarship awards grants that cover tuition, fees and living expenses who are accepted by or already enrolled in health service programs such as nursing.
Students must agree to work as a health professional for the Indian Health Service for a specified amount of time after receiving their degree and license to practice nursing. For more information or to apply for any one of the Indian Health Service grants, visit the Indian Health Service Scholarship Program website.
Health Resources And Services Administration Loans For Nursing School
HRSA student loans are aimed at helping students in health professions, including nursing.
These student loans for nursing school are low-interest and available to full-time disadvantaged students. These loans arent offered by the government directly. Instead, schools participate in the program to offer the loans.
These loans are given out on a first-come, first-served basis and until funding runs out for the year.
| Pros | |
|---|---|
| Low-income and other disadvantaged students can get additional funding for nursing school. You dont need to meet credit criteria. | The program has limited funds. HRSA student loans arent available at all nursing schools, including private institutions. |
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Hospitals That Pay For Nursing School
Learn which hospitals pay for nursing school, how to pay or get paid to go to nursing school and the pros and cons of nursing school programs.
Are you a nursing student struggling to finance your education? Although there might be some student loan options available to you, you might want to consider looking into hospitals that pay for nursing school. Thats right there are hospitals out there that will pay for your nursing school tuition without charging you any interest.
Some local healthcare employers offer a program to pay for a students tuition, without the expectation of the student to pay back the money.
- How to cover your tuition?
- State wise list of hospitals that pay for nursing schools
- Alabama
- Methods you can adopt for financial assistance
- Is tuition reimbursement worth it?
- Pros and cons of nursing school program
How To Fund Your Education With Military Service
There are many different ways you can become a military nurse, such as enlisting once you have already earned your BSN degree. But if youre looking to get your nursing education paid for, you might want to explore a military program like the ones below:
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Ten Government Assistance Programs For Nurses
In addition to federal loan programs, there are also government assistance programs that may be available to help you pay for your nursing degree or get reimbursed later on after financing your degree. Here are some of the government assistance programs available for aspiring nurses or nurses looking to advance their careers:
American Assembly Of Men In Nursing Foundation Johnson & Johnson Nursing Scholarship Fund
The American Assembly of Men in Nursing Foundation Johnson & Johnson Nursing Scholarship Fund awards grants of $1,000 to men pursuing a degree as a registered nurse. Men applying for this grant must already be enrolled in a nursing program.
Twenty of these scholarships are awarded each year and four of the grants are dedicated to minority applicants or those with Hispanic or Latino ethnicity. Applications are accepted on paper through the United States Postal Service only.
For more information, visit the scholarship fund website at www.aamn.org.
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Nursing Loan Forgiveness By State
Its common for states to offer forgiveness programs for healthcare professionals, including nursing.
The student loan forgiveness programs by state typically coincide with a Health Professional Shortage Area . Each state has different regulations and rules for forgiveness. The state higher education board or state department of health will list the forgiveness programs offered for nurses.
How Difficult Is Working Through Nursing School
It depends! Multiple studies have examined the connection between GPA and number of hours worked per week. A paper assembled by BYU on the Effects of Employment on Student Academic Success highlighted that:
- GPA and drop-out rates are only negatively affected when students work more than 20 hours a week.
- Interestingly, students in the study who worked fewer than 15 to 20 hours a week actually earned higher GPAs than those who didnt work at all.
Although studies typically focus on full-time undergraduate students, these lessons can be applied to pursuing further education at all levels.
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How To Get Paid To Go To Nursing School
As a nursing student, you can borrow student loans with lower rates of interest, and other various benefits. There are a number of student loans specific to nursing students. These student loans for nursing students are designed to help students not only cover tuition costs, but also to make the costs more manageable.
You can reap these benefits if you work in certain hospitals. You should note that your performance plays an important role in how much funding you receive for tuition. Under a program, you could get a license and youll have to work within the hospital for a specified period of time, varying from a few months to a few years.
One How Much Does Nursing School Cost
How much nursing school costs will depend on a number of factors like what educational level you already have, and what degree you are pursuing.
If you already have a Bachelors degree and are now pursuing your RN, or if youre going directly from ADN to BSN, the cost will be different. And if you attend a community college, the cost will most likely be much lower than a private university.
Overall, there is no one set cost for nursing school, but you can expect to spend anywhere from thousands for a shorter program to as high as over $80,000 and even sometimes $100,000 for longer or grad school programs.
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Bachelor Of Science In Nursing
Average cost: $40,000 to $100,000
Another way to become an RN is by earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing , which generally takes about four years.
Like an ADN, a BSN will train you in the skills you need to perform nursing care however, youll also receive more extensive education in research, social sciences, leadership, and management as well as public and community health.
Generally, a BSN-prepared nurse will be better equipped to handle more complex procedures compared to an ADN-prepared nurse. Because of this, BSN nurses can earn $80,000 or more per year while ADN nurses earn an average salary of just over $74,000, according to NursingProcess.org.
Tip:
However, an ADN could still be a good place to start your nursing career. Many students choose to earn their ADN so they can begin working as a nurse before returning to school to pursue a BSN.
How To Pay For Nursing School: The Complete Guide
Even the most expensive RN to MSN program doesn’t have to break the bank! Graduate nursing students can take advantage of all kinds of funding opportunities. Since the breadth of these options may feel a little overwhelming, we’ve gathered the best resources in one spot. Explore scholarships, grants, student loans, and even fellowships. Employer-sponsored tuition reimbursement and alternative funding opportunities may also be available.
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Getting Help Paying For Miscellaneous Nursing School Costs
We mentioned that nursing programs have costs other programs dont, and its not uncommon for aid to not cover miscellaneous costs. However, there are ways to pay for things you need without racking up too many credit card charges.
According to The Nerdy Nurse, some of the unusual items youll need may include:
- Comfortable shoes
Glowforge Ear Savers Glowforge is a laser printer company, but in response to COVID-19, they created a pattern for Ear Savers. These are attachments for masks to keep their straps from rubbing the backs of your ears all day. Even if you dont have a Glowforge printer, if you can access a laser printer , you can make these using a printable pattern. Best of all? The pattern is free! You can also sign up with Glowforge, either on behalf of a nonprofit or as an individual frontline worker, to have someone else make them for youcosting you no more than shipping.
Doctor Of Nursing Practice
Average cost: $30,000 to $70,000
You could also choose to continue your education through a Doctor of Nursing Practice program. With a DNP program, you can focus on learning advanced skills or pursuing advanced research.
If youve already earned a masters degree, a DNP program will generally take about two to three years to complete. There are also BSN-to-DNP bridge programs available, which usually take three to five years to finish.
Learn More: How to Use Student Loans for College Living Expenses
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When Should You Consider Refinancing
You might choose to refinance your loan if you can find a lower interest rate, or if you want to consolidate several different loans into one lump loan under one interest rate.
Especially during the COVID pandemic, many lenders–including the federal government–are offering refinancing options that might make sense for you.
You can learn more about refinancing your student loans, including eligibility requirements, what type of loans you can refinance, and what you can expect here.
Kansas Board Of Regents
The Kansas Board of Regents offers grants in the amount of $2,500 per year for licensed practical nurse programs and $3,500 per year for registered nurse programs to Kansas residents accepted by or already enrolled in a Kansas nursing program as a full-time nursing student.
The recipient must practice as a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse in Kansas after graduation, for a minimum of one year of service per year of scholarship support. The applicant must also find a health care facility to provide partial grant funding and full-time employment after the applicant receives a nursing license.
For more information or to apply, visit the Kansas Board of Regents website at www.kansasregents.org.
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Employer Tuition Reimbursement For Nurses
Lumina Foundation, a non-profit focused on higher education, conducted a study of Cignas education tuition reimbursement program. It showed that the global health service providers return on investment was about 129%. That means there is a strong incentive for employers to offer continuing education to their employees.
Although its difficult to find statistics focused solely on nursing, these numbers are encouraging and suggest that exploring options with an employer could potentially return favorable results.
A few examples of organizations offering tuition reimbursement include:
- UCHealth, with hospitals and clinics in Colorado, Wyoming and Nebraska, provides up to $4,000 a year to nurses for continuing education expenses.
- The Mayo Clinic offers up to $5,250 a year for graduate-level courses after one year of service.
- Kaiser Permanente offers each employee $3,000 in tuition reimbursement.
- Northwest Community Hospital in Illinois reportedly offers a tuition reimbursement of $4,500 a year, according to a report on glassdoor.com.
Fafsa Overview For Bsn Programs
FASA stand for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. There are different types of federal financial aid such as grants and loans which you may be eligible for. Your FAFSA will determine which types of federal financial aid may be available to you so it is important to complete your FAFSA. The FAFSA may be filed online at
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Low Cost Government Student Loans
Apply by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid by the deadline. Miss the deadline and youre out of luck for the upcoming academic year. Dont think youd qualify anyway because your family isnt poor? Guess what? Most students with that belief are wrong. The Stafford Loans are some of the most popular and most disbursed college loans in the country, for good reason9 times out of 10 students qualify for some level of aid. And many more actually qualify for Pell Grantsand thats free money you never need repay. True, your Stafford Loan allowance may not be much, but every few hundred dollars is that much less you have to pay out yourself.
Another argument for filling out the FAFSA: many scholarship and grant programs will not consider your application unless youve applied for your federal loans via the FAFSA. Thats like leaving thousands of dollars on the table for others to snag.
What Is The Nursing School Attrition Rate
Attrition rate could be understood as to how many students discontinued their program. This typically doesnt happen in a normal school, but it does occur from time to time with nursing schools.
There are various reasons for this, one of which being some students dont have money to pay tuition or just decide they want to shift attention and go into a different field other than nursing.
Some others may face difficulty trying to balance their education with a family, and by the time all is said and done, they chose that it wasnt worth their while after all. Whatever the case may be, at least this will make you aware of what you might encounter if there is such a thing.
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Idaho State Board Of Education Minority And At
The state of Idaho offers the Idaho State Board of Education Minority and At-Risk Scholarship to students attending an eligible college in the state of Idaho who meet at least three of five eligibility criteria for at-risk or minority students.
Applicants must have graduated from an Idaho high school and be residents of the state of Idaho. Grants of up to $3,000 per year are awarded for up to four years of study. For more information and to apply, visit the Idaho State Board of Education website.