{"id":5637,"date":"2026-06-17T17:02:03","date_gmt":"2026-06-17T21:02:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/?p=5637"},"modified":"2026-06-17T17:02:03","modified_gmt":"2026-06-17T21:02:03","slug":"free-nursing-program-pros-and-cons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/free-nursing-program-pros-and-cons\/","title":{"rendered":"Pros and Cons of Free Nursing Programs"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Nursing programs with free tuition sound amazing, but they\u2019re often not all they\u2019re cracked up to be. As the saying goes, \u201cThere\u2019s no free lunch.\u201d Meaning, often, \u201cfree\u201d things are not as free as they sound. So while there might not be a financial obligation, there are likely strings attached like mandatory service contracts for restrictive job placements that you\u2019re locked into.<\/p>\n<p>Before committing to a free nursing program either through your job or otherwise, you\u2019ll want to make sure that you clearly understand and you\u2019re comfortable with the bounds of this \u201cfree\u201d education. Below, we\u2019ll go over some of the particulars so you can make the best choice for you.<\/p>\n<h2>The allure of a debt-free nursing education<\/h2>\n<p>It is natural to gravitate toward something advertised as free. The problem is that the advertisements don\u2019t list the restrictions, or they\u2019ll throw them in the fine print, the equivalent of speed reading at the end of an American medical ad. So while you\u2019re enthralled by the allure of avoiding student loan debt from an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/academics\/programs\/nursing-adn\/\">ADN nursing program<\/a>, you\u2019ll become indebted in other ways.<\/p>\n<p>Because truthfully, nursing programs with free tuition are rarely, if ever, truly free. Government programs and healthcare organizations don\u2019t fund education out of the goodness of their hearts; they fund it to solve a problem. And the problem? Lack of nurses.<\/p>\n<p>These programs usually fall into one of these categories:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Hospital-sponsored tuition:<\/strong> Healthcare organizations will pay for your nursing program up front, or reimburse for it, with a contract that states you\u2019ll work for them for a set salary post-graduation.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Military and federal pathways:<\/strong> A government nursing program like the <a href=\"https:\/\/bhw.hrsa.gov\/programs\/nurse-corps\/scholarship\/apply\">federal nurse corps scholarship program<\/a> will pay for your tuition and fees, and give you a monthly stipend, but you\u2019re committed to serving certain populations after graduation for a set amount of time.<\/li>\n<li><strong>State and federally funded programs:<\/strong> Some state-funded programs pay for nursing school to incentivize people to enter these high-demand fields. They often come with a commitment to serve in a public healthcare organization for a set period after graduation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>While sidestepping the out-of-pocket costs of a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/academics\/programs\/nursing-bs\/\">BSN Nursing program<\/a> is a great advantage, it\u2019s also important to explore the cons so you can make an informed decision.<\/p>\n<h2>Hidden cons of a free Nursing education<\/h2>\n<p>Before you lock yourself into a contract, make sure you\u2019ve also fully considered some of the disadvantages of free nursing degrees as well. Below, we\u2019ll go over some of the common drawbacks of these nursing programs.<\/p>\n<h3>Geographic and employer restrictions<\/h3>\n<p>The most likely restriction you\u2019ll encounter is where and whom you can work for in your first 2-4 years post-graduation. Most free tuition packages for an ADN Nursing program or BSN nursing program require you to work for your sponsor after earning your nursing degree. While guaranteed employment is a great perk of these programs, it limits your ability to move for any reason or leave a job if the workplace environment isn\u2019t a good fit and locks you into a specific salary that doesn\u2019t give you room to negotiate post-graduation even if you were the top of your class.<\/p>\n<h3>Limited scope and educational glass ceilings<\/h3>\n<p>Most state-funded nursing programs with free tuition are ADN Nursing programs, not BSN Nursing programs. While an associate degree in Nursing (ADN) does qualify you to become an RN by sitting <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/how-to-prepare-for-nclex\/\">for the NCLEX<\/a>, it can be quite limiting if you want to specialize or continue your education.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/landingpages\/nursing-programs?utm_source=organic&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=pros_and_cons_free_nursing_programs\"><em>Invest in a nursing education that supports your goals today and your opportunities tomorrow. Explore UB\u2019s Nursing programs.<\/em><\/a><\/h3>\n<h3>Highly competitive and limited availability<\/h3>\n<p>Many of these nursing programs offering free tuition are incredibly competitive and only take the best of the best. Several very qualified applicants don\u2019t make it through and can spend years on the waiting list. Waiting for a spot in a free program can cost you in the long run; if you\u2019re waiting to earn your degree, you\u2019re also waiting to earn a nurse\u2019s salary. The cost might not be worth the wait.<\/p>\n<h2>Strategic value of a university nursing education<\/h2>\n<p>The immediate cost and long-term payoff are both things to consider when you\u2019re thinking about nursing school. You\u2019ll want to prioritize quality over the price, especially when considering \u201cfree\u201d options.<\/p>\n<p>The truth is that many BSN nursing programs offer a wide array of financial aid, grants, and private scholarships that don\u2019t have the cons of a \u201cfree\u201d nursing school.<\/p>\n<p>Plus, starting with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN degree) sets you up for long-term career growth and success. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/glossary\/bsn\">A BSN degree<\/a> is typically only attained through a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/academics\/schools-colleges\/school-nursing\/programs\">university nursing program<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, graduating from a university provides you with a sizeable alumni network and the prestige of a four-year institution, which can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bls.gov\/ooh\/healthcare\/registered-nurses.htm\">help you land your dream job<\/a> and allow you the freedom to specialize or continue your education at will.<\/p>\n<h2>Why free nursing programs cost you time and freedom<\/h2>\n<p>Nursing programs with free tuition can be a great stepping stone, but it\u2019s important to understand the drawbacks so you don\u2019t get stuck in a situation that limits you later on. Remember, \u201cfree\u201d isn\u2019t really free; you are the commodity, and nurses are in high demand.<\/p>\n<p>Keep in mind that the contract you sign for a \u201cfree\u201d education is very strict and near-impossible to get out of. Make sure you clearly understand the trade-off of the free nursing program you\u2019re looking at before signing anything. Getting roped into a contract that costs you years of time and potential income may not be the best for your future, stunting your career growth and keeping you locked in one geographical location.<\/p>\n<h2>Invest in your education with a Nursing degree from University of Bridgeport<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/picking-the-best-nursing-program\/\">Choose a nursing program<\/a> that doesn\u2019t limit your career trajectory. Investing in a BSN degree will grant you the freedom to steer your career in the direction you want. It will allow you to maintain autonomy and change your mind at any point. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/landingpages\/learn-more-web?utm_source=organic&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=pros_and_cons_free_nursing_programs\">Learn more<\/a> about our BSN degree today.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>See how our premier nursing program can help you launch your nursing career. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/apply\/?utm_source=organic&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=pros_and_cons_free_nursing_programs\">Apply today<\/a> to learn more about our warm admissions team and our vast financial aid options!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Nursing programs with free tuition sound amazing, but they\u2019re often not all they\u2019re cracked up to be. As the saying goes, \u201cThere\u2019s no free lunch.\u201d Meaning, often, \u201cfree\u201d things are not as free as they sound. So while there might &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/free-nursing-program-pros-and-cons\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Pros and Cons of Free Nursing Programs<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":5642,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[127,129],"tags":[322,355,356,2,44,420],"class_list":["post-5637","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academics","category-health-sciences","tag-associate-degree-in-nursing","tag-associate-in-nursing","tag-bachelor-in-nursing","tag-featured","tag-nursing","tag-nursing-school","fallback-thumbnail"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Pros and Cons of Free Nursing Programs | University of Bridgeport<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Explore the pros and cons of free nursing programs, including potential limitations in flexibility, resources, clinical experience, and career support.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/free-nursing-program-pros-and-cons\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Pros and Cons of Free Nursing Programs | University of Bridgeport\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Explore the pros and cons of free nursing programs, including potential limitations in flexibility, resources, clinical experience, and career support.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/free-nursing-program-pros-and-cons\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"University of Bridgeport News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/UBridgeport\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-06-17T21:02:03+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/pros-cons-free-nursing-school-blog-header.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"720\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"University of Bridgeport\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@ubridgeport\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@ubridgeport\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"University of Bridgeport\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/free-nursing-program-pros-and-cons\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/free-nursing-program-pros-and-cons\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"University of Bridgeport\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/f192803e8cfa460fa6d81e4dc7f3112d\"},\"headline\":\"Pros and Cons of Free Nursing Programs\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-17T21:02:03+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-06-17T21:02:03+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/free-nursing-program-pros-and-cons\/\"},\"wordCount\":1066,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/free-nursing-program-pros-and-cons\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/pros-cons-free-nursing-school-blog-header.jpg?fit=1280%2C720&ssl=1\",\"keywords\":[\"Associate Degree in Nursing\",\"associate in nursing\",\"bachelor in nursing\",\"featured\",\"Nursing\",\"Nursing School\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Academics\",\"Health Sciences\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/free-nursing-program-pros-and-cons\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/free-nursing-program-pros-and-cons\/\",\"name\":\"Pros and Cons of Free Nursing Programs | University of Bridgeport\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/free-nursing-program-pros-and-cons\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/free-nursing-program-pros-and-cons\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/pros-cons-free-nursing-school-blog-header.jpg?fit=1280%2C720&ssl=1\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-17T21:02:03+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-06-17T21:02:03+00:00\",\"description\":\"Explore the pros and cons of free nursing programs, including potential limitations in flexibility, resources, clinical experience, and career support.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/free-nursing-program-pros-and-cons\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/free-nursing-program-pros-and-cons\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/free-nursing-program-pros-and-cons\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/pros-cons-free-nursing-school-blog-header.jpg?fit=1280%2C720&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/pros-cons-free-nursing-school-blog-header.jpg?fit=1280%2C720&ssl=1\",\"width\":1280,\"height\":720,\"caption\":\"A nursing student looking at a BSN nursing program.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/free-nursing-program-pros-and-cons\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Pros and Cons of Free Nursing Programs\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/\",\"name\":\"University of Bridgeport News\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/#organization\",\"name\":\"University of Bridgeport News\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/cropped-ubnews.jpg?fit=270%2C60&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/cropped-ubnews.jpg?fit=270%2C60&ssl=1\",\"width\":270,\"height\":60,\"caption\":\"University of Bridgeport News\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/UBridgeport\/\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/ubridgeport\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/school\/ubridgeport\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/f192803e8cfa460fa6d81e4dc7f3112d\",\"name\":\"University of Bridgeport\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/290a97c18e355a5b6ad34f20d797aeb80e835d2b06d6702ee951e152039c736a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/290a97c18e355a5b6ad34f20d797aeb80e835d2b06d6702ee951e152039c736a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"University of Bridgeport\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/author\/ub\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Pros and Cons of Free Nursing Programs | University of Bridgeport","description":"Explore the pros and cons of free nursing programs, including potential limitations in flexibility, resources, clinical experience, and career support.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/free-nursing-program-pros-and-cons\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Pros and Cons of Free Nursing Programs | University of Bridgeport","og_description":"Explore the pros and cons of free nursing programs, including potential limitations in flexibility, resources, clinical experience, and career support.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/free-nursing-program-pros-and-cons\/","og_site_name":"University of Bridgeport News","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/UBridgeport\/","article_published_time":"2026-06-17T21:02:03+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1280,"height":720,"url":"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/pros-cons-free-nursing-school-blog-header.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"University of Bridgeport","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@ubridgeport","twitter_site":"@ubridgeport","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"University of Bridgeport","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/free-nursing-program-pros-and-cons\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/free-nursing-program-pros-and-cons\/"},"author":{"name":"University of Bridgeport","@id":"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/f192803e8cfa460fa6d81e4dc7f3112d"},"headline":"Pros and Cons of Free Nursing Programs","datePublished":"2026-06-17T21:02:03+00:00","dateModified":"2026-06-17T21:02:03+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/free-nursing-program-pros-and-cons\/"},"wordCount":1066,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/free-nursing-program-pros-and-cons\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/pros-cons-free-nursing-school-blog-header.jpg?fit=1280%2C720&ssl=1","keywords":["Associate Degree in Nursing","associate in nursing","bachelor in nursing","featured","Nursing","Nursing School"],"articleSection":["Academics","Health Sciences"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/free-nursing-program-pros-and-cons\/","url":"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/free-nursing-program-pros-and-cons\/","name":"Pros and Cons of Free Nursing Programs | University of Bridgeport","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/free-nursing-program-pros-and-cons\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/free-nursing-program-pros-and-cons\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/pros-cons-free-nursing-school-blog-header.jpg?fit=1280%2C720&ssl=1","datePublished":"2026-06-17T21:02:03+00:00","dateModified":"2026-06-17T21:02:03+00:00","description":"Explore the pros and cons of free nursing programs, including potential limitations in flexibility, resources, clinical experience, and career support.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/free-nursing-program-pros-and-cons\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/free-nursing-program-pros-and-cons\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/free-nursing-program-pros-and-cons\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/pros-cons-free-nursing-school-blog-header.jpg?fit=1280%2C720&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/pros-cons-free-nursing-school-blog-header.jpg?fit=1280%2C720&ssl=1","width":1280,"height":720,"caption":"A nursing student looking at a BSN nursing program."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/free-nursing-program-pros-and-cons\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Pros and Cons of Free Nursing Programs"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/","name":"University of Bridgeport News","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/#organization","name":"University of Bridgeport News","url":"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/cropped-ubnews.jpg?fit=270%2C60&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/cropped-ubnews.jpg?fit=270%2C60&ssl=1","width":270,"height":60,"caption":"University of Bridgeport News"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/UBridgeport\/","https:\/\/x.com\/ubridgeport","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/school\/ubridgeport\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/f192803e8cfa460fa6d81e4dc7f3112d","name":"University of Bridgeport","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/290a97c18e355a5b6ad34f20d797aeb80e835d2b06d6702ee951e152039c736a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/290a97c18e355a5b6ad34f20d797aeb80e835d2b06d6702ee951e152039c736a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"University of Bridgeport"},"url":"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/author\/ub\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/pros-cons-free-nursing-school-blog-header.jpg?fit=1280%2C720&ssl=1","jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pdweHF-1sV","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5637","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/29"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5637"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5637\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5643,"href":"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5637\/revisions\/5643"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5642"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5637"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5637"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5637"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}