Ears posted:

I'm looking at a career change, and a friend who is a Nurse Practitioner suggested nursing - after listening to her advice and stories, and reading this thread, it sounds like a good match for my skills and personality.

Questions are these;

1) I have a BS in Biology and am interested in a BS -> BSN program.
Know of any of these in the Philly/PA/MD regions? I'm not unable to search, but it's like a damned egg hunt and I don't have the vocabulary to search for the right program.

2) How the hell can I afford it? I'm 38, have my own house, and have a dog I love dearly that I won't give up for apartment living. Can I get a student loan that covers housing and the basics (as well as my education) since I won't be able to work in an accelerated program?

3) I hear that a lot of places will pay off your student loans, but don't know where they are or how the conditions might be. There were some examples up above... are they typical?

I am 3 classes into a MLS, but Librarianship is a vast wasteland of no-pay jobs in the public sector, and a metric fuckton of people graduating without chance of jobs because many of the old bats have ossified into their jobs are are not going anywhere.