Register for courses at a local college and become a nursing assistant. Before becoming a nurse, you must be trained as a nursing assistant -- many nursing schools require students to be nursing assistants before accepting their enrollment. Courses are often offered at community colleges.
Talk with professional nurses, fellow nursing students, professors and instructors from the college at which you became a nursing assistant, contact local universities and use the Internet to research schools with nursing programs and determine if the fit is right for you. Research the school's graduation rate, offered degrees in nursing, class size and the cost of tuition. Choose a school that is accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting. Not all schools are accredited and graduating from an unaccredited school may delay your certification process in the future. Ensure you are eligible to become a nursing student at the school of your choice. Check with the school and make sure you meet all minimal educational and, if required, experience requirements.
Decide what type of nurse you want to be. The field of nursing offers many avenues to take, including registered nursing, clinical nursing, neuroscience nursing, forensic nursing and geriatric nursing. Research the various rolls performed in different nursing departments and choose a path that best suits you.
Choose the degree in which you want to pursue. The two most common degrees are the Associate Nursing degree and the Bachelor's in the Science of Nursing.
Contact the schools student finance department and apply for financial aid if you need financial assistance with making tuition payments. Fill out all of the appropriate forms and return them to the finance department of your school, per their orders.
Apply for nursing school. Contact the student department of the school of your choice and inquire about the application process. Some universities with nursing departments require that you apply to the university itself, while others require that you apply to the nursing department directly. Fill out all of the necessary forms and have a copy of your high school transcripts ready. Some nursing schools require potential students to pass a face-to-face interview.
Schedule a meeting with a student counselor and discuss the various courses offered which qualify you to earn the nursing degree of your choice.