Whilst a good education is essential for anybody who wants to work as a nurse, funding it can be a bit of a problem. Unless you are lucky enough to have family members who have paid money into a college trust fund for you, then chances are, you’re going to have to take out student loans or look into other methods of funding nursing school. Thankfully, there are several alternative options available to student nurses and nurses continuing their education that can cut the price significantly. We’ve taken a look at five options that you may wish to give some thought to.

#1. Online Education

Whilst online education may rob you of the complete ‘college experience’, it’s often this factor that makes it an attractive option for mature students, current registered nurses who want to further their achievements with an RN to MSN program, or anybody who wants to continue working as much as possible whilst studying and can’t let the program cause too much disruption to their everyday life. Whilst also providing you with extra flexibility and allowing you to study on your own terms, online programs are also much cheaper, usually costing around one-third less.

#2. Scholarships

Today, the demand for qualified nurses is higher than ever, with the aging population requiring higher standards of care and more patients than ever before registered with healthcare practices thanks to Obamacare. If you’re hoping to train as a nurse, then you’re in a great position currently as hospitals and other healthcare providers are crying out for nurses. Because of this, you have a larger topmedonlinestore.com chance than most when it comes to being accepted for scholarships or being provided with a grant to help with funding your education and getting you working as quickly as possible.

#3. Employer Funding

If you’re currently working for a healthcare provider as a caregiver or nurse, then you may want to consider the option of asking your employer to help with the cost of funding your further education. For example, if you are already an RN and want to improve your knowledge with an RN to MSN online, this may also benefit your employer as they will be able to give you more responsibilities in the workplace and promote you to higher positions rather than hiring from the outside. You can also look into polishing up your skills in different areas, such as learning a new language to improve communication with patients in their native language, taking an IV certification course, or updating skills and equipment knowledge to stay up to date.

#4. Accelerated Programs

If you have some free time on your hands and want to dedicate it to studying nursing, you may be able to consider applying to an accelerated program, which will be typically finished in a shorter time frame than most. For example, instead of spending three years earning your nursing degree, you may be able to do it in just two years, or even one year if you have the time to dedicate to taking on the higher workload. Since tuition fees are charged by the year, you can expect to pay significantly less.

These are just some of the options that you might want to consider when it comes to cutting the cost of your nursing education.