Be Prepared for the Costs of Nursing School
nursing school cost
Unless their last name happens to be Trump, collecting enough money for a college education is a challenge that all high school students face. During the current economic downturn, when one or both parents may be unemployed or at risk for it and budgets are tight, fund raising for the future is more difficult than ever. In addition to the rising cost of tuition, aspiring nursing students need to budget for more and costlier textbooks than most other majors, lab and clinical fees, uniforms, a stethoscope and all the other requirements of a program comprised of both clinical and hands-on training segments.
What About Financial Aide
The time tested financing options for a college education still apply: financial aid, work study, grants, student loans, scholarships and other monetary awards. It also doesn’t hurt to review your family tree for any rich aunts and uncles who might be suffering from an overflow of cash.
Aside from that, high school and college career counselors are excellent resources for finding the more traditional financing resources in your area. However with the current level of competition for every penny of college money available for the pinching, it is up to you, the future collegiate to do your homework and put your research cap on like you never have before. High school students these days, unlike when I was in this position, have the benefit of the all-knowing internet to power their research efforts. The money is out there – you just have to fight for it a little harder, based on current events.
I helped contribute to the expenses of nursing school by working part-time as a CNA (certified nurse’s aide), an endeavor that supported my studies while helping to pay the bills. Contact local home health and CNA agencies to find out if they have the “clinical to CNA reciprocity” that allows nursing students, typically juniors or seniors, to automatically certify as a CNA due to their clinical experience, rather than requiring separate certification.
If all else fails, I recently read that in Great Britain, nursing students received a federal stipend from the government to help pay the bills while they train to become a nurse. With all the bailout and stimulus controversy here in the states, perhaps this is not the best time to write a note in the presidential suggestion box about implementing a nursing school stipend here to prevent a mass nursing student exodus.
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