Hello everyone. I'm a recent grad (non traditional) with a non nursing bachelor. I'm trying to figure out what my next step is.

I randomly started looking up pa school.

In the few hours I've been looking at this i have seen some things that don't make a lot of sense and I'm hoping others can clarify. It seems that a PA gets paid more, with more privileges, less prereqs for admission, and less time in evil. Most all of the PA programs I have looked at are only two years.

My end goal is to be a pmhnp. I have look into demsn then working a year or two then certificate into pmhnp. Last time I discussed this I had about 40 angry nurses saying don't dare to demsn and that it's cheating. But I already have a bachelor's in psych.

So if I do absn for roughly 2 years, work two years, msn for two years, work for a year, pmhnp certificate for another year. Does this sound like a practical timeline? Or do I have something wrong in here?

Or you can go to pa school for two years then work under a psychiatrist after certification and get paid more in less time with less prereqs?

Please correct anything I have wrong here. Trying to figure out where to take things.

I’m doing my pre reqs for the KPI accelerated nursing program for the intake of sept 2027. I’m pretty dead set on this program and was wondering what my outlooks are to get in. I have a decent GPA and a degree but I’m just completing my English and Human anatomy pre req. my goal is to be done by December of this year.

The advisor I met with said that I have a good chance of getting in if I put in an application on oct 1 and get everything in line checked like my degree and the first aid and then hand in my grades for my last classes in December. He said it should be fine since it takes some time to fill up the seats for this degree.
I wanted some advice and experience from anyone who’s been through the admission process as well and if it was similar! Thank you!!! Or please reach out if anyone is applying for Sept intake!

Current students and recent grads

I’m hoping to learn from those of you who’ve already been through this because I honestly feel like I’m missing something.

I’m 36, a single mom to a 7-year-old, and after spending years working in healthcare, I finally decided to stop talking myself out of nursing and go for it. I was recently accepted into a private graduate-entry nursing program, and while I’m beyond grateful, now comes the part that’s honestly keeping me up at night—figuring out how to pay for it.

Before anyone says “just take out federal loans” or “use Grad PLUS,” I’ve already explored those options.

I’ve completed my FAFSA, appealed my financial aid package, and accepted every bit of federal aid available to me. Because I already have previous degrees and existing federal student loans, I’ve reached the federal borrowing limits I’m eligible for. So I’m really trying to learn about everything beyond the standard advice.

I’m hoping those of you who have been through nursing school can help point me toward opportunities I may not even know exist.

I’d love to hear about things like:

• Nursing scholarships that were actually worth applying for.
• Institutional grants or scholarships your school offered after you were admitted.
• HRSA, Nurse Corps, state workforce grants, or loan repayment programs.
• Hospital sponsorships or employer tuition assistance.
• Foundations or organizations that specifically support nursing students.
• Creative ways you covered living expenses while in school if you couldn’t work much.
• Anything you wish someone had told you before you started.
If you’re comfortable sharing, I’d love to know:
• What type of nursing program were you in? (ADN, BSN, ABSN, Direct Entry MSN/MEPN, etc.)
• Public or private school?
• What funding source made the biggest difference?
• Approximately how much did scholarships or grants cover?
• If you could go back, what would you apply for sooner?

I’m not looking for donations or asking anyone to solve this for me. I’m fully prepared to invest in my education—I just want to make sure I understand every legitimate funding opportunity before taking on additional debt.

And if you’re still in the application phase or are a pre-nursing student, I’d love to hear from you too. If you’ve come across scholarships, funding resources, or advice during your research that you think more applicants should know about, please share it. Sometimes the best information comes from someone who’s deep in the search right now.
I know I can’t be the only adult student, parent, or career changer trying to make this work. My hope is that this thread becomes a resource for anyone else searching Reddit months from now, wondering how people actually paid for nursing school.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this. I truly appreciate any advice, experiences, or resources you’re willing to share.

Hello all! I’m looking to start my nursing program soon and while I appreciate having a roof over my head, living at home is absolutely killing me inside and the dream of moving out after nursing school is a major motivator for me. I know many of you may have had your own apartment/house already upon entering your program so this question is specifically for those who lived at home for their entire nursing school experience. How soon after becoming an RN did you move out? How much did you have saved up prior to your first check? Any tips or advice about making it out?

Hello! I posted this on the other nursing subreddit but want to know what everyones opinion is.

I am looking into the LVN to BSN program for Nightingale College. I have seen some info online that some people's ATT for the NCLEX has been put on pause for a long time. I emailed the BRN to see if its true and if its an issue.

It does seem like a problem right now as they are not accepting any more recent graduates to test for California.

I am not sure what to do as I have spent some money into the application process already...

So financial aid won’t cover all of my schooling or give me extra money. I was in school a few years ago and FAFSA always gave me money back. I haven’t reached my full limit so I’m confused.

I’ve been unemployed looking for a job but haven’t had any luck. I’m struggling and don’t know what to do. Are there any programs that can help?

This is something I've been wondering for a while.

Is there something up with my community college? Their LPN certificate program is 1.5 years long, their LPN associate's is 2 years long, both require at least a year of prereqs, both prep for NCLEX-PN. Their ASN is 3 years and also requires at least a year of prereqs. All of the classes are during the day and are across town which makes it already less accessible. So getting your RN is basically a four year degree.

But the kicker is at another school the LPN is 1 year (no prereqs required), and their BSN is 3 years. It's twice the price but the classes are more flexible.

The community college in question has been sued a few times over educational stuff, overcharging, data leaks, etc. They also used to have a 3 month phlebotomy program that was $30,000 which is nuts. The vast majority of other classes were normal length and cost.

It's weird right? LPN shouldn't be 3 years??

I got my CNA certification this summer in order to have a guaranteed job during the last year and a half of nursing school. I was recently also given responses back from two different local hospitals offering to interview for a Nurse Tech position + interviewed at a well reviewed nursing home. I am trying to balance what will be the most reasonable/not burn me out during school vs what is most impressive/ strengthens my resume. I know that I will have a broader scope as a NT and more opportunity to assist/learn from nurses however I also want to use the CNA cert. I just got and believe the larger patient ratio and independence would be beneficial as well. I think NT is chiller than CNA bcs during clinicals I noticed that oftentimes they were frustrated, overworked, and burnt out (would it be a waste of my CNA cert. to jump straight into NT instead? would I run the risk of burning myself out?). I know I can handle two part time jobs rn (and need to for tuition), its just a matter of deciding which two? I could work at a NT for both hospitals which I believe would be the most impressive choice in the long run for what I want to specifically do in acute care in a hospital setting however being a CNA at a nursing facility and NT for a hospital could also be more well-rounded because there is more of a difference between them and some of the strongest nurses have a CNA background. The nursing facility offered me employment (still waiting on my cert. to become active) and waiting on interviews for the two hospitals.

I got accepted into my college's nursing program recently (beginning this fall!) and I'm super happy and excited, but at the same time, there's this dreaded feeling of self-doubt

I consider myself good at studying and have always excelled in science-y courses, but I'm afraid of how different nursing courses will be structure and content wise. Besides that, I never really had any hands-on medical experience. I'm terrified that I'll mess something up or just do something stupid that will get me kicked out of the program I worked so hard to get in or worse, hurt someone...

Any advice to feel better?? I really need more confidence before heading in!!

I have the opportunity to get my ADN degree at my local community college. I’m 26 years old now and by the time I graduate, I will be almost 30 if I go this route. That’s also if I pass the entrance exam and get in on the first try. This option is a lot more affordable, but it takes longer, and I only graduate with my associates. On the other hand, I have the option to do a ABSN program at a local university. This program I don’t need an entrance exam and I’m guaranteed a start date, I would just have to get 60 credits with good grades and I could start January 2028 and finish right before I turn 29.

The problem with the ABSN program is I would have to take out private student loans which really scares me. I hear a lot of people say that you can get hired with an associates and it’s not worth it to pay for your bachelors. But I already feel so far behind that it would be nice to have my bachelors before I’m 30. If I do the ADN program, FASFA will cover me fully. Thoughts and opinions are greatly appreciated!

Hi, I need some sound advice because I have no one else to discuss about this other than my own conscience.
I’m 29 and from CA, and have applied to nursing schools for the past two years. This will be my third year applying and I plan to continue again, but I was met with a few options where now I feel somewhat unsure on what route to take.

One of the schools I had applied to was CSU and although I did not get accepted to their nursing program, was admitted to an alternative major that I chose, Health Science. I chose it solely because it was required to pick a second option, but after some thought, wondered about if I should try to attain a bachelor’s in the meantime while I actively apply for nursing school. I never had a bachelor’s degree so part of me being first-gen thought maybe this would be a good fill-in in the meantime.

However, I also had a brief conversation recently with a nurse practitioner who talked to me about Nightingale college. I was told that if you really don’t want to wait another year and not waste any more time, to apply at Nightingale. She said it’s not for everyone, but that the experiences from her friends that attended worked out for them.

I am honestly very lost right now. In a way, I see each of these comings as an opportunity but at the same time, it would be great to start wherever I can.

Do you have any thoughts/ advice, or experiences similar to mine?

Thank you