The nerdcubed podcats , an amazing gaming podcast which often ends up being a conversation about politics <| sep |> I was able to graduate without debt . I went to an inexpensive state school with a BSN program that your tuition was covered as long as you kept your GPA over 3 . 5 , which was pretty much required at my school anyway . I lived with several friends in a super cheap rental house paid $ 200 a month and worked as a CNA on the weekend . It was tough , but doable . The area my school was in was also very low cost of living . It wasn ' t exactly a fun place to live as a college student , but I guess that made it easier to focus on school and work . My biggest recommendation if she wants to go straight through her BSN is to look into state schools in lower income areas . Tuition is usually low as well as cost of living . Otherwise , the ADN route is definitely cheaper .