New Nursing Student (seeking funding)

****o all,

I'm new to this forum. i'm not a nurse yet but i'm looking forward to becoming one. I'm 21 and currently attempting to finish all the prereq's to get into a bsn program.

Everyone i know tells me that there is such a high demand for male nurses especially, that finding funding should prove simple. i have come to nothing but problems. I live in Denver. Could this be my problem? Am I not asking the right questions or talking to the right people?

I would appreciate any help that anyone could offer as far as who to talk to and what questions to ask specifically.

thanks in advance

Omer

Hi Omer...
I am a second year ADN student and have gone through the financial aid process for this degree as well as my first degree, a BS in biology. I attended Western State College in Gunnison (CO) for my BS, and I can tell you that getting financial aid is indeed very simple. Your being in Denver has nothing to do with your difficulty. And if we are talking about federal or state aid, it matters not whether you are male or female. There is quite possibly private aid available for male nurses (I am female, so I have no idea) in the form of scholarships and grants- you will need to work with the financial aid office at your school to acquire those dollars. But there are still plenty of public grants and loans available to all students that will be more than enough to help get you through school.

What sort of problems getting aid are you having specifically? And what avenues have you explored? The very best place to start is the financial aid office at your school. They should put you on the right track.

You need to fill out a FAFSA (free application for federal student aid). You can get one of these at the financial aid office at your school, or you can apply online. I don't remember the website, but I think you can go to fafsa.gov. You will need your tax information from last year, and if you are under age 22 you will need your parents' as well.

Once you fill out the fafsa, you just have to wait. Many times you will be selected for income verification, which basically means you have to answer the same questions and send copies of w-2s or 1099s. A student aid report will be sent to your school, and then your school will find you as much aid in the form of loans and grants that they can.

Hope that helped a bit, and good luck with your schooling!

Liz