Nurse training costs vary, depending on the college or university you select.
Concerns about financing a nursing degree are common; however, nurse training and education can be inexpensive or as expensive, depending on the college or university you select. There are numerous funding sources to help nursing students pay for their education. In many areas, businesses and hospital, foundations and donors are underwriting nursing education to make sure a steady flow of new nurses enters the field.
Paying for School
You can keep nursing education costs down by earning an associate degree in nursing at a community college close to home and then attend a four-year public college or university to finish your bachelor's degree. Fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and file it in January. The federal government will use it to decide if you are qualified for a Pell Grant. Search for scholarships opportunities or check with the military, since some branches will pay for your nursing education if you agree to serve for a set number of years.
Associate Nursing Degree
Nursing tuition at community colleges is generally less than at four-year institutions.
Nursing tuition at community colleges is generally less than at four-year institutions. For example, at the Community College of Denver, nursing tuition for residents is $128.65 a semester hour or about $1,544 for a 12-hour full-time class load. At Clinton Community College in New York, tuition is $148 per semester hour for the 65-hour Associate of Applied Science nursing degree.
Public Institutions
Public institutions, funded in part by tax dollars, are less expensive than private institutions.
Public institutions, funded in part by tax dollars, are less expensive than private institutions. A Bachelor of Science degree in nursing at the University of Colorado Denver is $320 a semester hour. The degree requires 66 semester hours in upper division nursing and the lower division courses generally require 60 hours. Many Colorado students attend community colleges and transfer to UCD nursing for the final two years. Tuition for a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from Stony Brook University in New York, where the programs is aimed at students already holding an associate's degree is $207 per semester hour or $2,485 for a full course load of 12 or more hours.
Private Institutions
Private institutions are more expensive than public ones.
Private institutions are usually more expensive. At DePaul University in Chicago, tuition for the undergraduate nursing program is $28,240 a year for a full-time student or $490 per quarter hour not including room and board that runs, at the least expensive, an additional $7,800 annually. At Brigham Young University in Utah, an institution of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, tuition is broken down by church membership. Non LDS members pay $2,210 per semester and non-members pay $4,420. Non-LDS member rates are still competitive to many public institutions.
Online Nursing Degrees
Online nursing degrees are widely promoted, but may be expensive. For example, the University of Phoenix's online nursing program for licensed practical and vocational nurses costs $485 per credit hour for a bachelor's degree. Jacksonville University in Florida offers an online nursing program for registered nurses seeking a baccalaureate nursing degree that requires 120 credits at $425 a credit hour. However, 30 hours of your associate degree course work may transfer, leaving you to earn 90 credits at more than $38,000.
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