Student loans...how much do you owe?

CLUVRN, MSN, RN · Mar 5, 2010

I owe nothing for my LPN education--paid for by WIA assistance. Will begin pre-reqs at the local cc in May, which will be out of pocket. Once accepted into the RN program, WIA will pay for the majority of my nursing classes as well.

BluegrassRN · Mar 5, 2010

For my BA at an in-state university in an unrelated field: nothing, had scholarships and a small amount of savings.

For my LPN (in-state community college): 4K, paid off before returning for my RN

For my ADN (in state community college: Nothing, I paid cash.

For my BSN (in-state university): Nothing, paying cash.

We're not wealthy, but we live just fine. Neither of us come from families with money, my husband is a high school teacher so he isn't raking in the big bucks, but we make enough to live decently and save for our kids' college and our retirement. We live fairly frugally. I don't like owing money.

HappyGirl2011 · Mar 5, 2010

Out of curiosity.. why did you leave law school after 1 semester?

I worked for an attorney during my last year of undergrad. He encouraged me to take the LSAT and go to law school. I wasn't sure of what to do when I graduated, so I took his advice. My now husband and I applied to law schools together and we moved to where we both got in together. I knew from the first week there that it was not what I wanted to do with my life. I enjoyed the courses, especially the writing class, but I did not want to do that work as a career. My undergrad degree is in Public Health and I decided to apply to the nursing program at the same school. I got in and love nursing with all of my heart. I have never been so happy. My husband and I will both graduate at the same time next May.

netglow, ASN, RN · Mar 5, 2010

RNYC, you will just have to deal with the path you've chosen.

You can prefer it, but that is about all you can do. You will find yourself working with people with varied edu backgrounds. You can't "will" employers to want you more because of your chosen path, you just don't have that kind of pull.

Many more MDs are using community colleges as part of premed. and, successfully. You wanna talk about some hard feelings for those who maybe have the "name" school, the horrendous debt -- only to find that it didn't matter? You have to be street smart these days.

johnnyDoGood · Mar 5, 2010

I went to a private college for my BSN and I'm in the hole nearly $45K
Looking back, I wish I would have not been so impatient and applied at a nearby public university...but I was afraid I'd be stuck on a waiting list for ever and a day. Ah, well.
How about you?

or you could've went to a community college at first, then once you got a job in a hospital, you could've gotten the hospital to do tuition assistance for the online adn to bsn degree.

RNYC · Mar 6, 2010

RNYC, you will just have to deal with the path you've chosen.
You can prefer it, but that is about all you can do. You will find yourself working with people with varied edu backgrounds. You can't "will" employers to want you more because of your chosen path, you just don't have that kind of pull.
Many more MDs are using community colleges as part of premed. and, successfully. You wanna talk about some hard feelings for those who maybe have the "name" school, the horrendous debt -- only to find that it didn't matter? You have to be street smart these days.

Your point is moot. I know personally, many nurse managers at teaching hospitals. If an ADN goes to the bottom of the resume pile due to organization initiatives and HR direction - nothing to do with me whatsoever. As far as those that did the LPN or ADN first, good for you! If it worked for you, and you have no debt now and have your dreamjob thats awesome. However you seem to think people who go to private colleges for ABSN to be "crazy" and "nuts" for the big student loan debts. If one gets a degree no matter what the cost and then they don't get a job - 0% of 0 is zero - meaning no matter what you spent on the education there isnt a return on investment at all. In the last two years hiring managers dont take anyone with a pulse....it became supremely competitive to get a new grad nursing job. If you feel an ADN is competitive with a BSN at a major teaching hospital - you were right 3-4 yrs ago. However those days are gone - so my point is only speaking to new grads not established nurses.

dudette10, MSN, RN · Mar 6, 2010

Nothing yet, for my education...hoping we can make it through without a loan. However, we do owe about 25K in a second mortgage for our daughter's tuition! :lol2: :lol2:

LesMonsterRN, ADN, RN · Mar 6, 2010

I have been fortunate enough to not have to take out loans. I think I will have paid just under 15k for my AAS when I finish in May at a state school. My LPN in 1994 was $3200; the same program is now 11k.

netglow, ASN, RN · Mar 6, 2010

RNYC, I reread my post and I disagree with your reply. My guess would be that you will come to some sort of understanding at some point. Things aren't always as we'd like them to be. You see all of us have made individual choices as evidenced by the response to this thread. Understand that an education will not necessarily give you the "return" you want financially. Gone is the era when all you had to do was go to that name school and automatically get several excellent offers at the beginning of your senior year (or earlier). I went to that name school and had the GPA back then and got all that comes with that ) in my first professional career. Things are different now, and nothing is a sure thing. We all should hope the best for each other where ever we all land.

RNYC · Mar 6, 2010

RNYC, I reread my post and I disagree with your reply. My guess would be that you will come to some sort of understanding at some point. Things aren't always as we'd like them to be. You see all of us have made individual choices as evidenced by the response to this thread. Understand that an education will not necessarily give you the "return" you want financially. Gone is the era when all you had to do was go to that name school and automatically get several excellent offers at the beginning of your senior year (or earlier). I went to that name school and had the GPA back then and got all that comes with that ) in my first professional career. Things are different now, and nothing is a sure thing. We all should hope the best for each other where ever we all land.

Ok, captain obvious? I have a job lined up already - 2-3 actually. They all were opportunities I would not have qualified for without a BSN. There is no shade of grey here - I would be disqualified for these jobs in California with ADN. Period.

Slappy387 · Mar 6, 2010

21k. 2 years pre-reqs i paid for living expenses, loan interest, and books, had the loans for the bulk of the tuition. first year of a BSN program I have used loans (8600) and for the second i plan to use my newly found pell grant to cover for most of the cost, leaving me with no loans for my last year and time to start repayment.

How can someone consider taking out 140k in loans for a job that pays 40-60k? I guess you can argue that over someones working career, they will make more by being a nurse. But when you consider the amount he will actually pay after years of accumulating interest he will actually be working to just get by. Not worth it IMO

DirtyBlackSocks · Mar 6, 2010

To the BSN/ADN argument.

Don't start getting hostile, guys/girls.

If some one takes out loans for their education, that's their own business.

If some one wants to argue that you have the same chance of getting a job with an ADN as you do with a BSN, they haven't done their home work.

If some one with a BSN wants to put down some one with an ADN - that's their ignorance.

Bottom line - and this is my opinion - if you can afford to get the BSN now, go for the BSN now. We are in an economic recession, which means jobs are hard to come by. 5 years from now we may not be - and you'll be fresh out of school with a BSN to show for it.

If your financial situation, home situation, family situation, or whatever means that you need to start making money ASAP - then get an ADN and work towards a BSN through tuition repayment at your Hospital.

I am a firm believer in continuing your education until you hit the roof, though. Not everyone thinks like I do.

It's also an easy thing for me to say "just go for the BSN", because my military service means I basically get a free ride to the degree now.

If your ultimate goal is to get a BSN then PLEASE, never stop trying - even if you go the ADN route. The more you accomplish, the more well rounded a person you become. This holds true in education, and all other walks of life.