Help me get into nursing school

amother

Tue, Feb 27 2024, 8:30 pm

I know there are programs funded by the government.
I don’t have any credits and no GED.
I’m not good at math, my English is not perfect.
Not sure I’ll pass a GED test.

Do I stand a chance?
Do I need to pay thousands for a BA before getting into one of the funded nursing programs?

Where do I begin?

Princess23

Tue, Feb 27 2024, 8:34 pm

amother OP wrote:

You can pm me.

chestnut

Tue, Feb 27 2024, 8:54 pm

In NYC, the only free programs (if you're income eligible) would be in a CUNY (city) or SUNY (state) college, like Hunter College (Bachelor's), Kingsborough college (associate's), maybe SUNY Downstate.
Nursing schools are competitive and not easy to get into. City or state nursing schools are even harder to get into because they're free.
You have to take many prerequisites first, before the nursing school.
Another way is to get any Bachelor's and then go to a program that leads to BSN.

Just One

Tue, Feb 27 2024, 9:30 pm

Kol hakavod for thinking big. Nursing is a great career with so many diverse job opportunities! Don't be daunted by the process. I've seen many a mediocre or ESL student get into and through nursing school successfully. Nursing is not a field for geniuses. It's for motivated, caring people.

Regarding your GED, if in NY, you can reach out to SLE (part of Touro). They provide free government funded GED prep classes and can guide you in the process more generally 718-871-6187. You can also Google 'free GED prep near me'. Many public high schools and libraries have free programs to help adults get a high school equivalency diploma.

For nursing, you would typically do prerequisite classes and then apply to nursing school. Altogether the process takes around 4 years. There are accelerated options where you can do prerequisites and nursing school in a single program over 3 years. Both of these options would give you a bachelor's in nursing ie BSN. You do not need a separate bachelor's degree before starting this process.

There's also the option for getting an associates degree, ASN. This is the quickest and easiest option though it limits your job choices (although you can always complete the courses later on to obtain a full BSN).

I was recently in your shoes and did extensive research on the options. If you are in NY and would like more info on available options/ programs/pathways, feel free to ask.

Just One

Tue, Feb 27 2024, 9:36 pm

In regards to funding, I agree with chestnut that city and state schools are hard to get into. Private programs will not be fully funded. If you are an income eligible US citizen, grants can pay for part of the tuition fees.

For a degree like nursing which allows for a nice income right after graduation, student loans are a good option when necessary. Nursing has a great return on investment and I wouldn't let tuition costs hold me back if it would increase my income in the long run.

amother

Brown

Tue, Feb 27 2024, 10:08 pm

What’s age are you
Is a school like reb bulkas seminary an option
They have a Flatbush or Lakewood option
Lakewood is considerably cheaper
They have a 4 year program condensed into 3
Frum curriculum but pricey
Not sure how much student loan you can get
Can anybody add info?

amother

Clematis

Tue, Feb 27 2024, 10:47 pm

chestnut wrote:

There is serious talk about SUNY downstate closing down. I hope it doesn't but its a risk. Many times at these city programs you are dealing with seriously sassy people who have an inch of power over you. I switched to private and was much happier. They treat you better and are more flexible. There are a few frum programs in private. Do not be scared of student loans. It sounds scary but its the way it is. And you can put it on deferment until you have a job.

Princess23

Tue, Feb 27 2024, 10:59 pm

I tutor for GED. I am now tutoring a lady who’s like 40, teen drop out due to pregnancy (that type) she too wants to go back for something like nursing. Good for her. I also tutored a criminal who eventually ghosted me after his court date. He was using me to say he was studying because judge required it from him and made his lawyer contact me even to confirm our sessions. So, I know a lot about GED. Feel free to ask away.

nylon

Wed, Feb 28 2024, 2:12 pm

There are no frum programs for nursing because the program can't really be compressed and requires clinical hours. Some people do it by getting a frum program BA (subject doesn't matter), then doing pre-reqs and doing an accelerated BA-to-BSN program (one year) but that program is VERY intense. If you're starting from nothing it would be easier and cheaper to go straight for your nursing degree.

The story with Downstate is that the hospital is closing, but the university is not. I can't see how they can close that, it's got a lot of programs.