working, tuition reimbursement and NP school

SteveNNP, MSN, NP · Apr 9, 2008

I am in a similar situation. The hospital I work for now pays $10,000 a year toward tuition, however my program costs around $50k total. I am attending class part-time, 6-8 credits a semester. I take the majority of shared sciences and core classes before I start clinicals this fall.

I have been able to work FT nights while in class so far. There is no weekend-only option here, but we do self scheduling. I am able to work every Th/Fr/Sa nights, and have a day to readjust before class on M/W.

$18k of grad school debt isn't that bad. If you can make it work, stay where you are. You'll have to adust to not only a new job, but grad school at the same time, and they may not be as flexible there. JMHO.

grad*student · Apr 10, 2008

Would you change jobs?
My program will cost 25K, my current employer will pay 7K of it, so I will need loans of around 18K. I already have undergrad student loan debt.
The other hospital I am looking at would pay around 20K of my tuition and I would pay only 5K.
I am not in love with my current job, but I am comfortable there. I work float pool (ICU) and this position would be a weekend option unit-based position. I am thinking that weekends would be easier with going to school.
The catch is you have to work FT (36 hours) to get the full tuition reimbursement. Do you think it is possible to work FT while going to NP school? I am a part-time student, I will take an average of 6 credits a semester and I am taking the entire didactic portion of the program prior to clinical.
Thanks

Would I change jobs? Yes. I'm in exactly your situation, and have resigned a flexible, well-paying job in research to return to the bedside simply for the tuition reimbursement benefit.

Should you change jobs? Not if you are required to work 36hrs during school to get the money. That's way too much. I'm working 24 hrs/wk max, and am still wondering if I can do it.

Dixiecup · Apr 12, 2008

I'm working full time (40 hrs/week) and taking 6 hrs a semester right now. I'm managing for now but getting ready for my last year and wondering how I'm going to pull it off with all the required preceptor clinical hours I'm going to have to do. I can't really afford to work any less but don't know if I can afford not to!

I'll have about 90K in student loans when I'm done (that include undergrad too) and my current employer doesn't offer any tuition reimbursment at all.

But I've already had a job offer in a rural clinic that will totally pay off my entire loan as an incentive to accept the position!