Student loans, Tuition and losing my ever loving mind

[Bellamaphone]

I will try to make this story as short as possible.

I am in university trying to work towards my nursing degree and hopefully midwifery later on. This is my first year, and I started off by taking one course the first semester. I applied for part time student loans and received a grant to pay for my tuition. I then took two more classes the following semester and since the first semesters class is a year long course it put me into full time status.

The student loan people then had me fill out a full time application, and gave me incredibly conflicting information, along with my school. I ended up filling the application out incorrectly and subsequently being told that I did not qualify for funding. Once I corrected the mistake, which took the better part of three weeks. I moved onto the next step which was to have several different papers signed, filled out etc, etc, etc. this took another three weeks. then we had to have our deceleration signed, then finally we get to the point (today) of having my school confirm enrollment.

What? why would they wait until the end to have my enrollment confirmed, isnt this something they would like to do first?

It did concern me a little, but then I realized that I am in fact enrolled so it shouldnt be an issue. Well I was wrong and it was an issue, apparently I need to re-complete an application which will take another month or so and potentially run me into the time frame where they no longer accept applications (two months before your study period ends)

So no money.

my question is. Should I continue to take the courses I have nearly completed half of and pray that eventually i receive some sort of magical assistance from the student loan gods (or income tax or something) or should I drop and pay the small percentage I would have to anty up for being enrolled thus far. we are really struggling financially and have poor credit and dont qualify for any bank assistance.

I almost wonder if it would be worth it to just quit school and work full time. I am exhausted working and doing school work and worrying about money.

Sorry for the long message!

[sanguine_speed]

I have received Ontario student loans in the past and have dealt with the horrible bureacracy that is student loans. It bites.


BUT, the Confirmation of Enrolment is usually a document that is sent right before you receive your student loan. It is not usually something that is done before you apply for a loan.

The loans system is very confusing and it sounds like you're being lost in the shuffle. It might be worthwhile to sit down with a financial aid counselor to get straight answers.

[Bellamaphone]

Yeah unfortunately for me the confirmation of enrollment form was when they figured out that there was an error in the application process. They want me to complete a new application (thus enter the hell once more) and potentially not qualify for loans at all due to a small (SMALL!!) increase in our income. My issue is, if i apply (again!) for the loan for the period they want me to apply for and I dont qualify, I will have been in my classes for to long to drop without any financial or grade repercussions.

Thanks for the response!

[sanguine_speed]

Oh, yes, I understand. Sucks .

[CarrieMF]

can you go to your bank & get a loan to pay for this semesters classes?

[Bellamaphone]

No unfortunately we have overextended our credit.Some is due to necessity and some due to irresponsible spending. we have long since mended our ways and have been paying our debts back as quickly as possible (which is not that quick) However, as a result I have poor credit and my husband is overextended.

I did however, reapply the way they wanted and we determined it would just be ridiculous to drop the classes this far into the semester. So we are just going to pray income tax, birthdays and perhaps even a student loan (in the future) will help us to cover my tuition costs. Hopefully everything works out for me in the end.

[quantumleap]

Student loans are awful to deal with, much of the time. I hope everything works out, asap!

Just wanted to point out though that, in Canada, having a nursing degree isn't a pre-req, nor does it give you a leg up in a Canadian midwifery program. The classes you're taking now will likely transfer in for credit in your first year of the midwifery program, but the way the program is set up, you will still have to pay full tuition. I mean, in your first year and a half, which is the only time you might be able to get transfer credits, you have to pay full-time tuition if you're taking all 5 classes a semester or if you're only taking one. I'm not up on the rules of the past year or two, and I do know they were talking about making some changes that would allow some students (people with nursing degrees, public health, etc) to bypass first year, so things might be a bit different by the time you get there.

Anyway, all this to say that if you're thinking midwifery is where you want to end up, you'd be better served to bypass nursing and go straight to midwifery. Totally not what you were asking, I know, and maybe you already have thought all this through, but I just wanted to make sure you weren't working on a nursing degree thinking it would shave time or money off of your midwifery degree later.

Best.

[Bellamaphone]

Thanks for the response!

As far as the midwifery program goes, it does in fact pay off to be a nurse first now a days, most education facilities offer a fast track program of two years to anyone with a nursing degree, and if you are an experienced labour and delivery nurse you may even qualify for a prior learning education assessment or bridging program.

The issue, for me at least, is that I really have no interest in being a nurse and one is just a means to the other, or more like it would drive me insane doing nothing and waiting, waiting, waiting to get my education. We have a program beginning here in September but they are only in taking a very minimum amount of students and my chances of getting in the first year is slim to none.

Because of this reason (nursing degrees lead to shorter midwifery education programs and the lack of midwifery education programs here) I know of MANY nursing students on the same path as me.

But who knows maybe I will get into the program right away!

[quantumleap]

Hunh. I'm a former midwifery student within the Ontario consortium. Obviously I'm out of the Manitoba loop. Perhaps I'm a contributor to the much maligned "Ontario is the center of the universe" syndrome!
Best of luck to you.

[Mama2Xander]

Originally Posted by Bellamaphone

As far as the midwifery program goes, it does in fact pay off to be a nurse first now a days, most education facilities offer a fast track program of two years to anyone with a nursing degree, and if you are an experienced labour and delivery nurse you may even qualify for a prior learning education assessment or bridging program.

I would be very, very careful about that. Perhaps things are different in MB - if that's the case, GREAT. But that is not at all what I have experienced with Canadian midwifery programs. UBC has always been very adamant that the program is not intended for anyone with a medical/nursing background - they don't flat out say that you *can't* attend it if you are a nurse, but that's pretty much the reality. I see their website still says that they may develop a bridging program for nurses at some point in the future, but a) they've been saying that since they were first developing the UBC program in the late 90's, and b) the entire program has been in jeopardy (funding issues) and they aren't sure if they are even going to be taking students at all this year.

I don't mean to be discouraging, but you may want to do a bit more research before committing to this route.

Just FYI - I became a nurse, years ago, with the intention of going into midwifery after that. When I decided to attend nursing school (1997) there were no midwifery programs here in BC yet and no one really knew what one might look like. At the time people thought that nursing would be a helpful start. I don't regret doing nursing, but it certainly did not prove to be a route into a Canadian midwifery program. In fact it is almost a strike against me. Fortunately I didn't like the UBC program for other reasons and didn't want to apply there anyway, but it would have sucked if I thought my nursing education was going to fast track me into midwifery.

Now, if you are interested in training in another country, the nursing background could certainly come in handy. eg. UK, New Zealand, USA... in New Zealand midwifery is normally a 3 year program, but if you're already a nurse it can be as short as 18 months. Or at least that was the case when I looked into it years ago

[shelleyd]

I just moved to Ontario from the US and I want to be a midwife. However I feel that my chances of getting into Midwifery school in Ontario now are pretty slim since I don't have any relevant experience. I have applied for nursing school and hope to go to midwifery school one day. From what I have read on the program website, both Ryerson and Laurentian offer a two year midwifery program for experienced health professionals.

Do any of you know anything about this option? I haven't looked into a lot of details for this yet since it is a ways off for me but you are all making me nervous that this is not a viable option.

TIA

(and I just love that I get to put the Canadian flag in my posts now! )

[quantumleap]

Originally Posted by shelleyd

I just moved to Ontario from the US and I want to be a midwife. However I feel that my chances of getting into Midwifery school in Ontario now are pretty slim since I don't have any relevant experience. I have applied for nursing school and hope to go to midwifery school one day. From what I have read on the program website, both Ryerson and Laurentian offer a two year midwifery program for experienced health professionals.

Do any of you know anything about this option? I haven't looked into a lot of details for this yet since it is a ways off for me but you are all making me nervous that this is not a viable option.

TIA

(and I just love that I get to put the Canadian flag in my posts now! )

This is totally thread morphing, sorry op. Anyway. I'll only speak to the Ontario consortium, though I know UBC is very linked to the Ontario program. Don't be discouraged by your "lack of experience". Most people have a serious "lack of experience" when they start the program. They have passion and interest, and typically some sort of applicable experience with women, or women and health. The experience they do have ranges from advocacy work with immigrant women to witnessing the birth of a sibling to volunteering with women's collectives... There are a few high school graduates every year too. Definitely not a lot of "experience" there, but they come through at the end of the four years as totally capable, caring, certified midwives, each with her own approach. In my entrance year, there was a dietician, a massage therapist, a couple of doulas and a woman with a public health degree. Everyone else was only experienced as far as life had taken them. My cohort just graduated, and I would be honoured to have any (well, almost any! There are always personalities that don't mesh quite as well as others) of them attend a birth of mine.
The Ryerson and Mac sites are a little harder to get in to, I think because of the number of applicants. Each site has it's advantages and disadvantages though.
I withdrew this year, and plan to get back to things after my own babies are a little more grown, but I hadn't heard any rumblings beyond the "we're thinking about a bypass possibility for first year for women coming from certain backgrounds". That's neat if they have figured out a way to mesh things.

OP, did you wind up deciding to hang in there with the classes? This may not be the most responsible thing in the world, but I'm a big believer in education even if you haven't got paying for it all figured out. It all tends to work out in the end. Student loans loves to put you through the ringer, but they do usually come through. Hopefully that's what happens for you too.

[Bellamaphone]

Thanks. I am sticking with the classes in the hope that it will all some how work out.
As for the midwifery. I am very educated on the different procedures on which to become a midwife. haha. i have changed my mind many, many , many times. I also reside on the council for the College of midwives of Manitoba, as their public representative. There are bridging programs being initiated in all provinces. However Manitoba has had a PLEA program for a couple of years and they have also instigated a Pathways program for the same reasons. I do know that Ryerson and Laurentian do offer the fast track program for RN's.

[josybear]

hey there, winnipegger here.
one of my closest friends is one of the province's top midwives and is sort of responsible for bringing midwifery training to the province. from knowing her i can tell you that your chances of getting into the program are definitely improved if you're doing everything you can to get towards your goal. she doesn't think much of the people who sit around waiting for the perfect program to exist and accept them, she likes people who become doulas, birth activists, stuff like that, and pursue education that might help. it shows initiative. so i think what you're doing is the best thing you could be doing, and i hope it turns out well for you.

[Bellamaphone]

Originally Posted by josybear

hey there, winnipegger here.
one of my closest friends is one of the province's top midwives and is sort of responsible for bringing midwifery training to the province. from knowing her i can tell you that your chances of getting into the program are definitely improved if you're doing everything you can to get towards your goal. she doesn't think much of the people who sit around waiting for the perfect program to exist and accept them, she likes people who become doulas, birth activists, stuff like that, and pursue education that might help. it shows initiative. so i think what you're doing is the best thing you could be doing, and i hope it turns out well for you.

Thanks for the words of encouragement. I can very nearly guess who your friend is! I have done everything I can think of. From taking aboriginal language courses, being a doula, taking all applicable programs at the university and volunteering everything baby. But I still dont feel very confident about my chances of getting in. Not to mention there is such conflicting info on the programs existence in the first place. But we shall see!