Need immediate help - no lectures, please!

Yes, I did it - I accepted "scholarship money" to pay for tuition and signed a contract to work for two years upon graduation.

I am graduating in May, and the facility who verbally promised the moon and stars has now backtracked, and will not allow me to go to the practice area for which I was assured.

I wish to go to another facility, and break the contract and return the money. However, I can not pay back the amount ($5000) in one lump sum. The pay back time is not stipulated in the contract should it be broken, but I don't know what the norm is for pay back. Has anyone been in this situation? What can I do?

Kristin

If you contact the hospital they will tell you what the payback options are. I have alot of classmates who have gotten themselves into the same situation. None that I've heard of have to pay it back all at once but the timeframe is pretty short. It will be worth not being stuck for two years in an area and hospital that you don't want to work at. Possibly you coud get a sign-on bonus at another hospital and use that to pay it back. There are options just check them out. Best of luck.

If you contact the hospital they will tell you what the payback options are. I have alot of classmates who have gotten themselves into the same situation. None that I've heard of have to pay it back all at once but the timeframe is pretty short. It will be worth not being stuck for two years in an area and hospital that you don't want to work at. Possibly you coud get a sign-on bonus at another hospital and use that to pay it back. There are options just check them out. Best of luck.

Thank you, Itsy! No sign-on bonus because I want to go to a competitive area. By a short timeframe, do you know how short?

I did this exact thing, and had to pay it back in 24 months. It was a pretty hefty monthly payment, but worth it not to work there.

Sometimes a facility might be willing to pay off your contract with another hospital if you are willing to sign on with them for their scholarship contract length. A buyout so to speak.

Otherwise,, maybe start looking for a good low intrest loan.

Thats the problem with these "scholarship" things,, they usually leave you in a position that is near impossible to pay back if you need to break the contract.

Sometimes a facility might be willing to pay off your contract with another hospital if you are willing to sign on with them for their scholarship contract length. A buyout so to speak.

Otherwise,, maybe start looking for a good low intrest loan.

Thats the problem with these "scholarship" things,, they usually leave you in a position that is near impossible to pay back if you need to break the contract.

If 24 months is the norm, that's not bad - I thought I'd have to do a lump sum!

No other scholarships available because of the area of nursing I wish to enter. To me, paying back the money is worth it so as not be paired with the worst nurses, worst area, worst shifts.

I think this is a very good thread, since it sounds as if it happens a lot. Not that this will help you any, but should be good advice for those who go this route in the future. Sometimes breaking of verbal contract, is just the same as breaking a written one. If in fact you were told one thing, and then that did not come to be. This can fall under the area fraud, and deciet, and a call to a consumer advocate group might be well worth it. But to all those out there who might be thinking of this, get it in writing. Document, document, document. Then you can hold their feet to the fire, and more than likely get them for breach of contract. just my thoughts.

Be Safe

Jerry

I think this is a very good thread, since it sounds as if it happens a lot. Not that this will help you any, but should be good advice for those who go this route in the future. Sometimes breaking of verbal contract, is just the same as breaking a written one. If in fact you were told one thing, and then that did not come to be. This can fall under the area fraud, and deciet, and a call to a consumer advocate group might be well worth it. But to all those out there who might be thinking of this, get it in writing. Document, document, document. Then you can hold their feet to the fire, and more than likely get them for breach of contract. just my thoughts.

Be Safe

Jerry

I agree with Jerry. Are what you signed on for and what was promised to you the same? It seems THEY might have broken the contract FOR you by not holding up to their end of the deal. You need some legal advice on this one. Don't assume that you owe them a dime yet. This kind of crap happens all the time because people assume they have to do what someone says. Please seek legal counsel...it may help you out of this mess and protect others in the future from this apparent "bait-and-switch" they pulled.

No lectures but if you used their money you owe them that money plus an agreed amt of interest...you will feel better about doing what is right...as for agreed on area of work this is usally phrased to their benefit..ie.."if available"

get a loan and pay them off..they will get off your back..you can move on to something that will give you satisfaction, a very important thing because you spend a lot of your life working..it is important that you are happy in your day to day work

also if you want to continue your education in the future you will not have a black mark against your record

My contract did not include a particular position, only that I agreed to work as an RN for 30 months at that facility. When I graduated, they didn't have the position I wanted and so I went elsewhere. I chose not to have another facility buy me out... because that would be putting myself in the same obligatory situation. Out of the frying pan and into the fire, and all of that.

And so I paid back the complete cost of my education plus 10% interest in 24 months.

Also, I didn't get a loan for that amount, I paid them out of pocket. To me getting a loan to pay off another loan is too much like robbing Peter to pay Paul.

Does anyone know if Children's Healthcare of Atlanta pays out scholarships?