Amount of debt upon graduation?

Nursing Students General Students

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Just a general survey: About how much debt are ya'll, if any, looking at upon graduation?

I calculated what I think I might end up owing when I graduate, which ended up being somewhere around $35,500. :eek: I thought I was going to get by with $19k, but after summer school, Stafford loans, and pulling $8k out of somewhere after my 4 year scholarship ends, that's where it may very well end up. I would like to buy a house after I graduate and buy a car for myself (because I know I have gone long enough without one), but money is going to be stretched making loan repayments. On top of that, I would like to purse my Master degree in Public Health and Health Informatics, but if I'm not at a place that offer tuition reimbursement, then that's a shot plan. Ergh, what do ya have to do, sell your soul to pay off debt?! :devil: :banghead:

There are always outside scholarships, but they aren't a sure thing and don't cover the full cost.

I know I'm not the only one, so feel free to share financial woes.

I graduated from my first bachelor's with $0 in debt. By my estimates, I will be about $15k or so in debt once I graduate from my BSN program in 2012.

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We can agree to disagree then. I have my bachelors and I know all about loans and what the fine print is all about. I graduated Magna Cum Laude and did very well in my undergrad studies. That being said, scholarships and financial aid did NOT cover my entire tuition. Unlike you, I don't know many people who spent their money on drinking, shopping, smoking and whatever else. I know that I did not do that. I had to take out loans regardless of my 3.75 GPA, and to be honest I'm fine with that.

I never said that you did. I'm just stating that there are those who do waste the money given to them, or they waste the only money they have. And I never said you didn't read the fine print, but many MANY do not. Those are the ones I was talking about.

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I never said that you did. I'm just stating that there are those who do waste the money given to them, or they waste the only money they have. And I never said you didn't read the fine print, but many MANY do not. Those are the ones I was talking about.

Ok? I'm pretty sure I never said that you were insinuating that was me. Like you, I was playing devils advocate. We can agree to disagree and leave it at that.

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Specializes in Critical Care (ICU/CVICU).

Alright guys, Let's call it a truce and agree to disagree. I really like this thread, and I would hate for it to get closed.

Life isn't easy or fair for anyone. Some people were blessed to have help while other people didn't. Some people choose to cut corners during school to save costs and some people just get a bunch of loans so they don't have to worry while in school. No one should judge, be jealous, or hate on anyone else's financial situation. The fact of the matter is that we are ALL getting (or got) a valuable nursing degree. And regardless of how much it costs to get there, we should all be proud of ourselves for getting to where we are!

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Alright guys, Let's call it a truce and agree to disagree. I really like this thread, and I would hate for it to get closed.

Life isn't easy or fair for anyone. Some people were blessed to have help while other people didn't. Some people choose to cut corners during school to save costs and some people just get a bunch of loans so they don't have to worry while in school. No one should judge, be jealous, or hate on anyone else's financial situation. The fact of the matter is that we are ALL getting (or got) a valuable nursing degree. And regardless of how much it costs to get there, we should all be proud of ourselves for getting to where we are!

I would too, which is why I suggested to agree to disagree twice now.

As for everything else you have said, kudos.

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I was just clarifying is all.

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please congrats to everyone who makes it through without debt like they say where there is a will there is a way my parents did'nt pay for my school but I did what I had to do I went and worked for uncle Sam so that he would pay for my school and guess what my parents could pay for college I just wanted to stand on my own but what is so sad is that when the loan company is giving you the loan they don't fully explain everything to you if i had of went straight to college out of high school I would probally have debt just because I could get it but op I learned from people like you telling their stories like im sure you tell everyone you can what it really means to get a loan its funny because I was in class the other day and people were talking about getting loans like it was free money

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

I completed an LPN-to-RN associate degree program earlier this year and graduated with nearly $13,000 in debt. I'm not too disappointed because my monthly repayment terms are reasonable. All of this debt is in the form of low interest Stafford student loans.

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Specializes in Psychiatry, Forensics, Addictions.
True, but it's also possible to conserve resources, choose your school carefully and manage your funds so that loans aren't "inevitable". For instance, my ADN along with BSN prereqs came in at almost $14K and I'm going with a cheap state BSN for $4K. There are other schools in my area that could have given me a BSN for $60K. I'm naturally cheap, so I think it's fair to congratulate people who have successfully kept their costs down. It's not a slam on those who chose a different path.

If this works for you and this is your plan, that's fantastic. I'm just not sure if cost should be the determining factor or only factor to consider when choosing a program.

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Does anyone know a good school lender? Im going for an accelerated second degree BSN this spring. I ran across a post hear that recommended a private lender/bank with three letters...NCR, NRC or something like that...I wish I would've written it down. I was approved with Sallie Mae but they seem aggressively wanting me to sign on the line. That makes me nervous and its a large amount. Also, Ihave read some things on this site about this lender that really concern me. I have an udergrad degree already so don't qualify for much. I think FAFSA offers up to $6500 for the entire year or maybe its for each semester..i dont know and if anyone can speak to that, I would appreciate it! Im also a bit hesitant to pull the trigger on this loan, the whole idea of a variable rate is haunting me already, though i do plan to try to work a tiny bit to help w rent and food.

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Oh i forgot to say in my last post that my BSN will cost me about 45K not to mention the ADDITIONAl finance charges that will be almost half if not more.

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Specializes in Psych.
If this works for you and this is your plan, that's fantastic. I'm just not sure if cost should be the determining factor or only factor to consider when choosing a program.

It wasn't. But if the programs are equal and employment opportunities are equal, I'll go the cheap route. Of course, I picked my educational path 5 years ago when an ADN graduate was at no disadvantage in my town. The market thoroughly tanked while I was in the middle of my nursing program. I might choose differently if I were starting out today, but I am comforted by the fact that if I am unable to find nursing work in the next 6 months, I can pay back my piddly loan by flipping burgers.

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