Best Nursing School
Picking the best nursing school is all dependent on what you are looking for in a school. If you are a single mom and need an online school, work full-time and need a part-time schedule, or looking for the top nursing school, this guide is for you.
Cost of Nursing School?
Nursing school can be very expensive. That is why it is so important to focus on the cost of school, the availability of scholarships, and the loan you are willing to take on for nursing school. There are several routes to becoming an RN and avoiding the cost of expensive nursing schools.
Look up the yearly cost of tuition for nursing schools
You should calculate the total cost of nursing school when you add up all the years you will be attending. Next, you are going to have to calculate how much money in grants and scholarships you will receive for those years.
Look up the percentage of students who receive aid and the average cost of schools after the aid
Not all schools have the same amount of financial aid and scholarships. Some schools may have limited availability, and some schools might offer a substantial amount of aid that school could be free.
Get an ADN from a community college first then get your BSN online and have employers pay for the degree
Going to a community college instead of a university can be a cheaper financial decision to make. Especially if the universities you are applying to have a limited amount of financial aid. Many people will say that the ADN route is easier and cheaper than getting a BSN straight from a university. For me personally, that was not the case as my University gave me enough scholarships to cover the entire cost.
Nursing School Schedule?
Some schools are full-time, part-time, online, at night, and on weekends. Make sure to find a program that works well for you and your family if you have one. Being a single parent can make going to school fulltime difficult, which is why a part-time or online route might be the best.
Full-time nursing schools usually don't take away the summer or winter breaks, but they are full-time for the rest of the year. Full-time school is also around 2 years just for the nursing school itself, not including the prerequisites. A BSN takes a total of 4 years to complete.
Part-time might be better for people working full-time jobs to pay for school, or for those that have families. Part-time schools typically take a longer time to complete nursing school. Part-time nursing school can take about 2 to 4 years to complete.
Public School vs Private School
Do you care if your school is the most prestigious nursing school in the country? Do you want to attend a community college? What about a local university? If you do not care about the type of college you want to go to then you are probably focusing on the cost of school. If you are wanting to go to a private nursing school, then you are focused on having the top education. Even if you attend a private college, there are still options to help pay off loans if you cannot get scholarships and grants to help.
Are You Willing to Travel Out of State?
If you are in a highly populated state, the nursing schools near you might be highly impacted and have huge waiting lists. You could be waiting years to get into a nursing school. You should prepare yourself to possibly move out of state to colleges that have less impacted programs and cheaper programs.
If you are not willing to move out of state, you need to be a highly competitive student for impacted nursing programs. If you are willing to move, you just expanded your opportunities to get into school and to get it cheaper.
Choosing a Nursing Program
Nursing school is a life-changing decision, which is why choosing a program perfect for you is key. Choose a program that is financially appropriate, good for your family, and good for your education.
