I want to move to Hawaii and attend college there. Some suggestions/advice needed? (Hilo: good credit, student loan)

[Pineapple25]

I am a 25 yr old, F, and I have a bachelor of Arts degree. I currently live in upstate NY, and I haven't been able to find any career jobs with my degree. I just ended an almost 6 yr relationship/engagement and I really need a change of pace and want to make my life an adventure while I am young. I am looking into going back to school for a Nursing degree and I want to move to Hawaii and attend college there. I have a lot of family in Oahu and have been to Hawaii when I was 16 year old for two months. (Long story short, my family tried moving there when I was 16, but my older siblings back in New York needed financial help, so my mom and us moved back to help them.)
I am looking into attending either the University of Hawaii at Manoa or the University of Hawaii at Maui. The out of state tuition costs at UH Manoa are quite high (30k/yr), and as a person looking to pursue a second bachelor's degree, I'm not sure how much financial/aid and loans I will qualify for. The UH at Maui offers an Associates degree in Nursing and the tuition is much less (7k/yr). I would like some suggestions or if anyone has any personal experiences living and/or going to school in Hawaii and which college they would recommend.
I am by no means rich, and I know that I will probably be struggling for a while before (hopefully) getting on my feet. Would an associates in Nursing still open up the same doors as a bachelors in Nursing would? I am also considering the fact that I may be very lonely starting out. I don't talk to my family (aunts/uncles/cousins) that lives in Oahu much and I would be going alone. I would most likely stay on or near campus to begin with. My mom would plan on coming out eventually as it is her dream to return to her birthplace. I feel such a connection to the ocean and I would be fine moving with a few possessions and living a simpler life for a while. I'm not sure if I should ship my car over or try to sell it, b/c I won't get what I owe on the auto loan. I know there's much to take into consideration.
I feel if I were to stay where I am, I know what it holds for me and that I should take a chance. I appreciate any insight and advice!

[rya96797]

your best shot would be moving in with relatives. With no career, it'll be tough living out here unless you don't mind running up a huge student loan balance.

It would be even smarter to get your nursing degree in your home state, perhaps some experience, then consider moving to hawaii. This is a huge life altering decision that shouln't be taken lightly. If you make a mistake here, you could be paying for it for much of your adult life.

quick question, are they even going to let you take another bachelor's degree at UH? Normally that's frowned upon or not allowed. You might have to enter a masters program.

Same advice in this thread probably applies here

https://www.city-data.com/forum/oahu/...ance-help.html

[whtviper1]

Originally Posted by Pineapple25

I appreciate any insight and advice!

Well.

I'd work on your writing style. A tad wordy. Needs some paragraph breaks. A lot of rambling with lack of a coherent plan.

You'd be perfect for Hawaii.

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

Pineapple,

I struggled to read your post, so I think these are the questions that you are asking:

1.Does anyone have any personal experiences living and/or going to school in Hawaii. Which college would they recommend (between UH Manoa and UH Maui)?
2. You have a question about being able to get financial aid for someone pursuing a second bachelor's degree.
3. Would an Associate's degree in Nursing still open up the same doors as a Bachelor's in Nursing? (Currently you have a Bachelor of Arts degree).
4. Should I ship my car over or try to sell it? If I sell it I won't get what I owe on the auto loan.
5. You said that you have a lot of family on Oahu, but then you said that you don't talk to them so you would be alone.

I agree with rya -- it sounds like from your financial position that you would be better off pursuing a nursing degree in your home state. In-state tuition is always going to be lower, and you need to consider the higher cost of living in Hawaii. Add to that the fact that you owe too much on your car to sell it, and it would cost you several thousand dollars to get it to Hawaii from New York State.

[oceanus]

I agree with rya96, living with your relatives here on Oahu would remove a huge financial burden. Housing costs is the main reason why people fail financially in Hawaii.

Call UH to get the most accurate information on how to pursue a second degree with them and the cost, but to answer your question about A.S. vs B.S. the answer is NO, an A.S. will not open as many doors in nursing. Many hospitals around the U.S. are now requiring that their nurses have B.S. degrees as part of their national MAGNET hospital status. People who simply want a quick nursing degree for the good paycheck and are not curious about biology and passionate about working with patients in a clinical setting will get weeded out. These people are (unfortunately) left with huge student debt from their attempt. If they somehow make it through school, they have to get through clinicals and pass an extremely difficult board exam in their state. I mention this because you don't want to fail nursing in a state with no financial support. Start school in your state first to figure out if it is truly what you are meant to do as a career. I've personally witnessed this process with a close friend. She is very smart and passionate about nursing and it took everything in her to pass that state board exam.

There are many fields to consider (physical therapy, dental, radiology) before making a huge commitment towards pursing a nursing degree program.


I usually tell people in general on this forum to not come to Hawaii without wealth, or an established career and a job offer. Its just too hard financially to make it, and you risk ending up on the street with no way back to the mainland.

[hotzcatz]

Given the differences between tuition on Oahu and Maui, I'd choose Maui. Doesn't U of H Hilo have the same programs? That would be even less expensive for housing and such.

[Heavy Rain]

Are you wanting to do nursing school out here just for a change of scenery, or because you're thinking of relocating long-term? The situation with nursing is a bit weird out here, it seems many of the nursing students need to take jobs either on the mainland or as nurse's aids while they wait to be hired as "true" nurses, because there aren't positions available. That's a gamble, too, because if they're sitting for 2+ years as a nurse's aid then they become undesirable to hire as a nurse because they're farther away from their schooling yet haven't worked as a nurse.

There's a need for ICU nurses, and a number of the hospitals out here hire travel nurses to fill positions. However, my understanding is that you can't go straight to being an ICU nurse; you need to be a standard nurse first, and moving on to ICU nurse requires some additional training and experience.

In summary: if you do nursing school out here, don't expect to be able to work as a nurse here due to lack of positions. You'll probably need to return to the mainland for work.

[StilltheSame]

I would recommend a bachelors in your state or somewhere that has a lower tuition cost a/o COL. Then, once complete, then seek a position as a travel nurse. I have a number of associates who lived in Hawaii as travel nurses and (at least back then) the reimbursement and calm was very favorable for them.

[Ian_Lee]

Are you really interested in the nursing career or do you just think that it is easy to get a job after graduation?

Unlike many years ago when there was a nursing shortage in the State, it seemed there is a glut. And being a nurse is tough, i.e. irregular shift, especially after you have a family.

If you really want to save money in tuition and come to Hawaii, there are other options.

For example, you can come to the island first and work for whatever job available for a year (there is a severe shortage of labor in many industries, i.e. travel). After you establish residency, you apply at University of Hawaii and become eligible to pay in-state tuition. Then choose a major (not necessarily bachelor degree but master degree) which offers good job prospect. Many Master degree programs do not require that you have the same bachelor degree background.

During summers, work for those degree-related intern jobs. And hopefully after graduation, you will get a job offer.

This road may be more winding but is more viable. Of course, you should have sufficient savings, i.e. funds equivalent to at least one year's expense, and a good credit history, before you come to the island.

[BuenoQueHacemohAhora]

Originally Posted by rya96797

...

quick question, are they even going to let you take another bachelor's degree at UH? Normally that's frowned upon or not allowed. You might have to enter a masters program.

How so? Granted, not UH, but I know several people in this same situation who had no issue at all at UCF. They convalidated some of their classes from their previous degree, and they had to take the nursing school required prerequisites, and that was that.