the university nearest to me offers a BSN for tuition free (bright futures) and 4K scholarship but I’m not sure if I can do 4 years.
The only issue with cc is that I don’t think they give much (edit) I don’t think they give any kind of scholarship so it’s free for 2 years or getting money for 4
I have only to decide on that I guess, not much other options
loans!!! all loans.
Hugs to you. I know this is challenging. You will have to be creative and scrappy and patient to put yourself thru college.
Do you have any affordable acceptances right now? I am defining affordable as an option that would not require you to take more than the $27K in undergrad loans ($5.5K yr 1, then $6.5/$7.5/$7.5)
You will have to work while you attend CC. You can also take the $5.5K student loan for CC too. I do not recommend you take more than the $27K in undergrad student loans. Once you have your ADN and pass NCLEX you can begin working as a nurse (at relatively low pay), while you finish your bachelor’s.
I’m sorry for your situation but put out of state out of mind.
Go to a Florida school on Bright Futures - it’s a big state.
Perhaps you can get a part time job, full time summer job, etc. to help with room and board. Is there any relative that can help?
The other option, as noted above, the Starbucks program (free tuition) has nursing - whether or not for an entry type nurse, I’m not sure but I put the link above. Starbucks employees attend Arizona State online free. My head nurse at Vanderbilt Cancer Center had an online nursing degree from a school I’d not even heard of…so I know it can be done.
no relatives and no co-signers for a loan.
I think adn at a cc is the only option for me.
Many nurses did the ADN pathway! I know it’s not your first choice but it will get you to your goal of becoming a nurse. Bright Futures also funds CC costs too.
I’m sorry you don’t have more financial support. Know that many successful people start at CC. Unfortunately money is a big part of the college decision process for many people. If you start at a CC, go with a seriousness of purpose and you will do well. The ADN pathway makes sense.
You may want to adjust your goal to leaving FL after college, rather than leaving to attend college.
Some hospitals/medical facilities -once you start working (with your 2 year nursing degree) - will help you pay for additional education (so you could work toward getting your BSN). Can you stand living at home another 2 years? If not, consider working as a CNA while going to school.
I just found this – it’s closed for this year’s applications but maybe next year? Apply to the Nurse Corps Scholarship Program | Bureau of Health Workforce
A long shot but some Nursing Scholarship programs: Scholarships & Financial Aid
The beauty of Nursing is that there are some jobs after college which come with loan forgiveness. Connecticut, where I live, is one of those because the governor has made it a top priority. The other side of the coin is that a nursing curriculum includes difficult science courses. If they prove to be too hard and you drop out of the program, then you’re stuck with the loans.
An RN does not require a college degree or even attending a 4-year college although a 4 year college degree in nursing is desirable. The cheap way to get a degree in nursing is to attend a 2-year college, which usually has cheaper annual costs and then finish up your final 2 years at a 4-year college. There are many colleges which offer RN-to-BSN programs specifically designed for RN nurses who are seeking to complete their 4-year degree. The beauty of this approach is that once you have your RN, you can get part time work to help pay for college at much better pay than the minimum wage jobs typically available to college. Hospital shifts are often 12 hours, so 2 days of 12-hour shifts = 3 days pay. Not only can you work part time, but during the month of intercession and during the 3 month summer break, you can work full time because nurses are in demand.
I would also suggest that you get a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) certificate ASAP, which usually takes about 4-6 weeks with the classroom portion sometimes offered remotely. Sometimes hospitals will offer the program for free. This will strengthen your application to nursing programs, which are very competitive, and it will make you eligible for better paying jobs than you could otherwise get.
My limited knowledge of community colleges lads me to New York State where there are 3 community colleges with residential campuses (dormitories) which offer 2-year RN nursing programs: Adirondack CC in Queensbury/Glens Falls, Clinton CC in Plattsburgh on the Canadien border, and Onondaga CC in Syracuse.
My recommendation is that you investigate the program at Onondaga for several reasons:
Cost of Attendance at Onondaga Community College for out-of-state students:
This cost is before financial aid, which can bring the cost down further. You can also live off campus, pay the $12,125 tuition, attempt to find cheaper accommodations, and buy & cook your own food.
There are a total of 15 SUNY community colleges in New York which offer 2-year RN programs, scattered around the state, but only the 3 I mentioned have residential campuses. You can enroll at any of them for the same tuition & fees as Onondaga and find your own living accommodations in the area. You can find more information on the SUNY website.
Best of luck.
And it’s a good one that many pursue who want to be nurses. Perhaps take some time to research this option.
I’m not sure how any tuition will beat Bright Futures, if they have it.
OP can’t afford the $15k they started with and cannot afford NY community colleges.
They can afford free tuition if they r earned Bright Futures - in Florida.
Can they afford living expenses is a different question.
I’m not suggesting OOS options. There are community college options in FL that would be affordable. Hoping the student has one near their home. It’s only delaying leaving a couple more years, plus they will be very busy with their studies.
If Bright Futures is not an option, the OP take a gap year or two and move to the state where she would like to attend college to establish residence. During this year, she can save money toward college. In my example of NY community college, this would lower her tuition cost to $6728 per year.
Are you sure the OP will be able to establish in state residency for tuition purposes in NY state if their family does not also relocate?
i love this option so, so much. i’ll look more into it, though it’s more then likely i’d need to move to syracuse full stop for it to work and work full time as well.
it just feels really disenchanting if thats the word
i worried for all these years about getting into a good university, getting a good sat, having fun in a dorm, just to be told senior year by my mom and just everything in general that i can’t afford anything but community college. i thought it’d pay off but the cc nearest to me doesnt even require the dual enrollment classes i’m taking for a nursing adn anyway, so I feel like i just wasted so much time and effort
Please don’t feel that way! You took some valuable courses for the sake of learning (I hope). You should never regret that! You will get to your goal of being a nurse…it just might not be the way you originally thought it would be.
Good question, @thumper.. From what I read, if you move to New York and live there for one year, you establish residence. You must establish your own independent domicile and show your intent to make NY your home. You must file your own income taxes and your parents can no longer claim you as a dependent on their taxes. Things like getting a NY driver’s license, registering to vote in NY, filing NY state income tax, and holding a job that shows you to be self-supporting all validate you as a full time resident with the intent to remain permanently. Things like rent receipts with heating and electric bills confirm that you have been in residence for the full 12 months. I’m not an expert on this, so I would confirm these facts with someone who is or with the school itself. But my understanding is that it is possible.
It certainly doesn’t relieve the parents of their expected FAFSA contribution as far as I know.
I second @thumper’s kind words to you about not having wasted your time by taking challenging courses.
Remember that your goal is to get your BSN even if you initially go the community college route and get an associate)s degree. Those 4 years will include difficult and challenging courses. I have seen students who were aspiring to become nurses drop out of nursing school because they couldn’t handle those difficult courses, especially the sciences. Your high school courses have prepared you to meet those challenges and succeed.
You can move toward your goal right now by getting your CNA ASAP. That is a concrete step you can take. It will open doors to better paying jobs than McDonald’s or Starbucks. Thise are jobs you can apply for on line. You could move to Syracuse with a job at a hospital or other health care facility in hand if all goes well.
Hang in there. You are up to the challenge. 
I was just going to point this out. If OP doesn’t know what this means, it’s that just because you are independent from your parent(s) for all other purposes (may or may not include tuition), your parent will probably still have to complete the parent information part of the FAFSA to get a federal student loan. Often that’s the case until you are 22. So you can move to NY, work for 12 months, do all the things listed (pay taxes, rent, utilities) and your parent still has to fill out the FAFSA with their info. If your mother makes a lot of money, you probably wouldn’t qualify for subsidized student loans.
Some schools require a FAFSA for scholarships or any aid coming from the school.