Financial hardship is a defining reality for many nursing students in the Philippines. While nursing education is viewed as a path to family upliftment, the academic burden of sustaining clinical fees, requirements, and living expenses can be overwhelming.

This study explored the lived experiences of Filipino nursing students who face financial strain, while focusing on its sources such as emotional and psychological impacts, coping and survival strategies, and academic consequences.

A descriptive qualitative design was employed to capture rich, contextualized narratives from sixteen Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) students enrolled at a state university in the Bicol Region. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and were analyzed thematically using Braun and Clarke's six-phase approach. Trustworthiness was ensured through member checking, audit trails, and reflexive journaling.

Four themes emerged: (1) Sources of Financial Strain—family income instability, solo-parent dependency, family medical expenses, and multiple dependent siblings; (2) Emotional and Psychological Impacts—hopelessness, anxiety, and depression; (3) Coping and Survival Strategies—working while studying and sacrificing rest or self-care; and (4) Academic Consequences—difficulty focusing and fear of dropping out. These findings revealed a complex interplay of economic, emotional, and cultural factors that shape students' struggle to persist.

Financial strain among Filipino nursing students extends beyond economic limitation to encompass moral obligation, emotional fatigue, and academic compromise. Universities must provide holistic support—financial, psychosocial, and institutional—to ensure that nursing students not only survive but succeed.