California Nursing School Scholarships.. how does one get that (or any scholarship)?

Hi guys,

My sister is a junior in high school and planning to go to a nursing school in California (we’re California residents). My parents have been refusing to pay for my own tuition and right now I have a debt with my university and I’m not sure what will happen to me… So since they won’t pay for me, as the oldest, I am concerned my little sister (the 3rd child out of 3) will not be able to have funds for college and loans is the worst and last thing I would do. I work for a student loan forgiveness company and I’ve seen all the struggles… don’t do it.

Anyways, I’ve always seen people get these full ride scholarships or even scholarships worth a few thousands and I’ve always been super puzzled on how!! I’m a college junior and so far my parents have been paying for it. I go to a CSU and they’ve paid like $20,000 so far. I’m living at home btw. I’ve always wanted to know how people get scholarships. It’s a huge mystery to me. I know some people get scholarships based on sports, but how do you get a scholarship based on your grades? I’ve gone on scholarship websites and stuff and I just really don’t get it…

Could someone please give me a detailed process on how you’re awarded this stuff? I tried searching some threads here and couldn’t find details. I want to know precisely the process and where do you find these scholarships and how do you guarantee you will get one. How do you apply? What do you have to do? Is there like a voting and judgement process?
Also, as my subject title suggests, I would like to know if there are full ride nursing scholarships available for my sister because my parents said they will not pay for college anymore (they’re just… low lives…) and expect us to get loans. Even if it’s not a full ride scholarship, how can someone accumulate enough scholarships to pay for school? How do people do that? I just feel like this scholarship stuff is a HUGE mystery to me!!

So, does anyone know any California Nursing Schools that will give out a full ride or at least a big scholarship?
Also, since I’m already in college, and my brother who is a high school senior now I am not sure if he’s planning on going to college but if he does go, then my parents will have me a senior, my brother a freshman, then my sister incoming college the year I’m already graduated. Does this qualify for any sort of financial aid? 2 kids in college simultaneously?
Some info: My parents are divorced and both make over $105,000 each. We’re Middle Eastern (but I’ve never seen a scholarship for Middle Easterns who are not Muslims, we’re Christians). I filed for FAFSA last year my sophomore year just using my mom’s income, my dad’s was not included, and I was awarded financial aid and only had to pay $1,500 that school year when full tuition would have been $9,000. This semester I was informed I was “over awarded” and they cancelled my aid and we are in the process of paying back that remaining balance (reason for my university debts)… I had no idea aid could be revoked but guess it can be. It’s scary. So I would like a scholarship for my sister rather than rely on financial aid which seems like at any moment they can pull from you if they later happen to review your file and think you’re too rich… weird.

Sorry this was such a huge ramble but I have tons of questions.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and answer my questions!

Cal States and UC’s give need-based aid and very little merit (scholarships) aid so if your sister is looking for merit aid since your parents income will probably not qualify her for much to any need-based aid, she should be looking at private schools. Have her look at Azusa Pacific and University of San Francisco for direct admit Nursing programs which may give her some merit aid. Some non-direct admit private Nursing programs in California include Biola University, Cal Baptist, Point Loma, Mt Saint Marys, Pacific Union and Loma Linda.

All colleges have a Net Price Calculator on their websites so you can get estimates of your costs.

http://www.rn.ca.gov/education/rnprograms.shtml#bsn

Thank you for the reply.

I did know private schools give out more scholarships but I did not know that public schools like the CSU’s and UC’s don’t give out practically any. I’ve been thinking about Point Loma for her because we live in SD. (I go to SDSU). How can I find out how to get her a scholarship for PLNU? Can a scholarship be revoked like financial aid?
I would like her to apply to all the schools you listed. How can she get these scholarships? Her GPA is good, it’s like a 4.4 or something so I hope she can get some scholarship based on her grade, just how does one do that?

I’ve heard some people already have full ride scholarships to universities as high school junior, is that possible and how is that done?

Thanks!

If she has competitive stats, SDSU does have some merit scholarships that she can apply: https://nursing.sdsu.edu/student-resources/financial-aid/scholarships/

PLNU has these merit scholarships: https://www.pointloma.edu/undergraduate/cost-financial-aid/scholarships

Run the NPC for PLNU and other schools to see if she might qualify for any automatic merit and then she can continue to look for school specific scholarships she would have to apply to separately.

For the CSU’s, there is no automatic merit so she needs to visit each schools website to see if there are any scholarships available for in-coming Freshman.

For UC’s, they do give Regents/Chancellor scholarships for top applicants usually top 1-2% which can vary from $2000-$10000/year depending upon campus.

Most Full Ride scholarships usually include merit plus a need-based component. Your parents income will exclude you from little to any need-based aid although having 2 students in college can help you and your sister.

Since your parents make a good income, what is prompting their refusal to pay for your college and your sisters? What do you mean they have paid $20K? If they paid that much for you, why not your sisters?

Ok, I’m confused. Have your parents been paying for your tuition, or not?

@BelknapPoint

They are paying for it but now they have stopped paying for it so I took a Leave of Absence. Since my aid was revoked we have to pay the remaining balance on it which they’ve paid $2,000 so far but there is a remaining approximately $2,000 left. So since they have not paid it, I have an outstanding debt with SDSU and as of now I can’t register for next semester or access my transcripts… I didn’t want to go in detail because that was not the point of me making this thread but yea, this is the problem I’m facing now. They stopped wanting to pay after my financial aid was revoked. They are really cheap and from the start always wanted me to go to community college but I had good grades in high school and I got into SDSU so why would I not go, plus community college has a horrible atmosphere and everyone is super low motivation and lazy and transferring is not guaranteed. I’ve had friends go and never get into university after that. It’s a super stupid idea to go to community college in my personal opinion (I know some people will disagree).
They want me to take out loans but I’m refusing to do that. Like I mentioned earlier in my original post, I work for a student loan forgiveness company and I hear all these horrible loan debt stories and all the advisor representatives working there all tell me don’t do it. I really really do not want to take out any loans, ESPECIALLY since my parents have lots of money and can easily pay it. They don’t want to pay for any reason but that they’re cheap and greedy. There’s nothing more to the story but that, selfishness, greediness and being plain cheap.

Because financing a more expensive school is not within your capability and your parents have an issue with the cost?

You chose not to go to a community college and now you’re not going to college anywhere.

@Gumbymom

What do you mean by automatic scholarship? I saw on PLNU’s website they’ll give out this certain amount of thousands just for having a certain GPA but the questions about this are:
-By automatic do you mean just because you have like say a 3.6, you will get this amount of money just based solely on that automatically if you just apply? Does this mean every single person with that stat gets this free money? Is this money awarded every school year or just once your freshman year? Can you combine scholarships?

To answer your second questions about them refusing to pay for it, I explained it above to BelknapPoint. They are just cheap and don’t want to pay for any tuition anymore. They told me, my brother & sister and I just all to get loans and that they’re done with tuition. Of course, I’ve been fighting that and trying my best by forcing them to by threatening to move out and all that. I got a job for the first time in my life without telling them so I can make some money since my dad cut off the credit card he gave me. I decided to get a job when he did that. Of course, working part time minimum wage will not be enough to move out. I’ve threatened to move in with my boyfriend’s family (I don’t actually want to tho it’d be awkward). I really need them to pay the remaining balance so I can register for next semester. But, in order to register for next semester they also need to pay next semester’s tuition. So at the moment what’s due is the remaining $2,000 from last year b/c I was overawared aid, and next semester’s tuition which is about $4,000 including books and stuff. Even though this was not the point of this thread, any tips would be nice!

@BelknapPoint

1- They make over $200,000 together. They can pay for university. I’m living at home, going to a state school. They have no excuses. They went to college themselves it’s honestly embarrassing of them, my mom has a master’s degree, my dad a PhD, to have their child go to community college. That’s ridiculous. They have money…

2- Community college is only an associates… Besides that, (this is getting reallyyy detailed about me…) I was a bio major previously and now switched my major to business. I am in the process of finishing up my last 3 business classes for lower division at my local community college this semester in my leave of absence from SDSU. I have applied for an associates in biology (b/c some bio courses were taken at that community college) & a business associates (I took 4 business classes over the summer). However SDSU has locked me from sending them my transcripts, once the debt is paid I can send it over and I would have 2 associates degrees in the matter of only 2 years. You only need 6 units in my community college taken there to get an associates degree from them, which I have for both biology and business. I’m good.

I know exactly what I am doing. I do not have a single regret going to SDSU and I am so happy I did not go to community college. I want to finish my bachelors in business now, and my parents being as wealthy as they are should do it and stop playing selfish and greedy.

If you need money from your parents to go to school where you want to go to school, not where they think may be a better or less expensive choice, you need to stop making threats to your parents. Respect them, listen to them and be willing to compromise. Those are my tips.

How bout if YOU get a job…and pay back some of the $2000 you owe?

You were NOT entitled to the aid you received, and that is why you have to repay it.

Your parents are not obligated to pay for your college education. Since they have decided not to…you need to have a plan B. And so does your sister.

Many…and I mean MANY students start off at affordable community colleges…and commute from home. Others work full time and attend college part time. Others attend college part time, and work part time. Some go to college…and then take time off to earn the money they need to go back for the next year. Some work for companies that help pay for college…I think UPS does…for example.

So…if your parents won’t pay…you need to help your siblings, and yourself come up with a plan B on how to pay for college…and get a degree.

Your sister has a fine GPA. Her next job is to get an outstanding score on the PSAT this weekend.

Then she needs an outstanding score on the SAT or ACT. Once she has those scores, it will be a LOT easier for folks here to point her in the direction of merit money.

@BelknapPoint
I am still enrolled with SDSU. I’m not dropped. I just have to pay the debts and I can continue there. I’m still an SDSU student. You seem to not understand that… I am still a college student. I will get my bachelors degree no matter what. If it came to the point they straight out refused, I have enough of my own money to pay off the remaining debt and can take out a loan for the second semester.

Now back to the original point of this thread -

How do scholarships work… thanks.

We’re only getting your side of the story, but the biggest thing I’m getting from it is a huge attitude of entitlement.

Yes some schools if you are accepted and meet their GPA/Test score criteria will give an applicant the merit money (scholarships). Again, if you run the Net Price calculator on the PLNU website, you can see if she would qualify for merit. Some schools allow you to stack scholarship money but that will depend upon the school.

https://npc.collegeboard.org/student/app/pointloma

Did you explain to your parents that since they make a good income that you are not eligible for need-based financial aid and you can only take out loans in your name as a student $5500 Freshman year, $6500 Sophomore year and $7500 Junior/Senior year? The rest would have to come from them. Do they not want you and your sister/brother to have a college education? How do they expect you and your siblings to pay for college and if they are not willing to help out?

If community college is what they are pushing, are they willing to pay for that? Your sister could attend a CC and then transfer to a Nursing program her Junior year.

When it comes to the nuance’s involved in financial aid and scholarships the CC poster @BelknapPoint would be more helpful.

No, I understand. You’re still a college student. You just can’t go to class. It’s hard to be a college student when you can’t go to class.

Well, there you go. That’s your plan B. What’s stopping you?

Again, I would like moderator delete (not lock - delete) this thread.

I feel uncomfortable having my personal struggles posted here and having people judge and interrogate me in quite rude ways and passive aggressive manners.

Delete this please.

@BelknapPoint Please do not use passive aggressive language with me like “It’s hard being a college student when you can’t go to class.” You don’t know who I am. You don’t know what my parents are like. You don’t know the struggles I face with them please refrain from that kind of language. I have no obligation to respond to you anymore by the way you are responding to me like a know-it-all about my life.

This was not the intention of this thread to have people come act like experts on my financial college situations. It was here to ask about California Nursing School scholarships. I included some personal info in my original post because I thought it would be helpful in finding what kind of scholarship is best for my sister and some background info on why I was asking for one. It was not here for people to tell me to go to community college when I literally said I was a junior which means I already have what can be done in community college. I am an upper division student now. Those classes are not offered in cc…

Now, I kindly ask to have this thread deleted. Thank You…

Per the Terms of Service - posts are not edited or deleted on request. There is a short window (15 minutes, I believe) in which you can edit your own post. After that, it’s permanent.

Also, the responses the OP is receiving are fine and do not violate the Terms of Service. Users are free to ignore responses if they don’t like them.

I’m closing the thread.