Using your employers assistance program

Nursing Students NP Students

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Specializes in Cardiac Nursing.

I'm trying to decide on whether or not to apply to my employers graduate assistance program. The only reason I wouldn't is because only certain schools are on their list of schools that they have agreements with. I met with someone yesterday who could give me a bit more clarification on which schools they actually had agreements with of the list of schools I'm actually applying to. I'm applying to Frontier, EKU, Graceland, and Simmons; all reputable schools. None are easy, and all will weed you out in my opinion if you try to do the minimum in class.

I'm leaning more towards Simmons as their class style has live classes online where you can see your professors and classmates and like Frontier and Graceland require at least one campus visit for a clinical intensive which I think is a good check and balance. Unfortunately, Simmons is the only school they don't have an agreement with.

Has anyone used their employers assistance program, and did they limit what schools you could go to? and Maryville are on the list, but if push came to shove I'd apply to Drexel because they require campus visits prior to clinical classes.

One good thing, my employer is helping me shadow an NP.

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Specializes in nursing education.

Personally, I did not, because it was so limited, especially compared to what was expected in return. I felt that my freedom was worth more than jumping through their hoops. Grad school has enough hoops of its own to maneuver through. (Your mileage may vary).

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Specializes in Cardiac Nursing.

Good point, for every year they give, you give. It might be worth it depending on how hard it is to find a job after graduation. I'm not naïve anymore to think I'll have an easy job finding a job as it was nearly impossible for me to land my first RN job, I doubt it will be any easier with an NP.

But, at the same time I want to go to a program I think will support me. My admissions counselor asked for the contact information for the people you need to get a hold of to get a affiliation agreement, so that's says something imo as I'm still in the application process.

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My employer gives us $5000 per year in tuition reimbursement (for a graduate degree. Three thousand for an undergraduate degree). Their list of approved schools is lengthy and nationwide. If the school you want isn't on the list, give them the name of the school, they'll look into it and if it is a reputable school, they'll approve it and add it to the list. If they have an agreement with a school, it means there is a discounted tuition, generally 25%-40%. For example, they have an agreement with and we get a 25% discount off the regular tuition as well as deferred billing (you don't pay until you get your reimbursement).

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Specializes in Emergency.

Wow Owler -

I wish that was the norm. So, if you take a years worth of tuition reimbursement, what do you promise to give back to your employer? A year of work after graduation? What if they don't have a job that fits with your new status (FNP for example)?

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It becomes even more of a "wow". You are only eligible for the reimbursement if you have been working the whole time you are in school (it is pro-rated if you are part-time). If you quit, go on a leave, etc, you are not eligible. But once you graduate, there is no payback period.

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Specializes in Emergency.

Nice, yea, um, mine's not like that! lol

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Specializes in ACNP-BC, Adult Critical Care, Cardiology.

Are you talking tuition reimbursement? I've never heard of having to "give back" after taking advantage of an HR benefit such as tuition reimbursement. I used it when I was an NP student...the hospital didn't pay much but it helped a bit.

My current employer (university medical center) gives 75% tuition discount to full time RN's enrolled in the university's school of nursing as part of HR benefits. There is no employment commitment after graduation. That's pretty good in my opinion.

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Specializes in Cardiac Nursing.

My employers benefit isn't tuition reimbursement, it's a straight $3000 per year whether you work full time or part time. For every year they give you money, you owe them one year. If you quit or are fired you owe the difference of what's left. It's a forgivable loan is how it's termed in our benefits section. The list is bigger than I thought it would be, with all of our state schools that offer NP listed and several reputable out of state programs, and of course several expensive for-profit programs I'm not looking at. If Simmons can't get an affiliation agreement (don't know why they wouldn't) I'll add to my application list.

As part of the application process for my employer's program, you meet with a career coach which is where I found out they can assist in finding me a NP to shadow (which they will help you with regardless)

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Specializes in nursing education.
Are you talking tuition reimbursement? I've never heard of having to "give back" after taking advantage of an HR benefit such as tuition reimbursement. I used it when I was an NP student...the hospital didn't pay much but it helped a bit.

My current employer (university medical center) gives 75% tuition discount to full time RN's enrolled in the university's school of nursing as part of HR benefits. There is no employment commitment after graduation. That's pretty good in my opinion.

Huh. I feel, once again, that I am working in the wrong place. My employer does not offer much of anything. Up side: I don't feel that I owe them much of anything after I graduate.

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Specializes in Emergency.
Are you talking tuition reimbursement? I've never heard of having to "give back" after taking advantage of an HR benefit such as tuition reimbursement. I used it when I was an NP student...the hospital didn't pay much but it helped a bit.

My current employer (university medical center) gives 75% tuition discount to full time RN's enrolled in the university's school of nursing as part of HR benefits. There is no employment commitment after graduation. That's pretty good in my opinion.

Yes, tuition reimbursement. My employer will do tuition reimbursement to some cap per term, I think it was $1k/term. If you take it, you must give 1yr of service after you graduate for each year of reimbursement you get. They do not pay when the schooling is due, because you must turn in your grades and get above a certain cutoff (I think it's B so it doesn't really matter for me, anything below that and I'd be retaking the course or out of the program), so you pay up front, turn in your grades and then wait to get reimbursed. If they don't have a job for your new role (which is highly likely for someone in my position, they only employ one FNP currently), then you have to pay the money back, or continue full time at your old role.

Basically it's great for the ADN-BSN programs they like to support, but it's of no use for graduate students.

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I used my tuition reimbursement, but it was limited in funds and in requirements. It required that you had 1 year of experience with the organization and that you would continue working through the semester for which you requested assistance. Easy and it paid about half of a semester's worth of tuition (which was the full amount for the fiscal year).

There are variations in these programs, but that was my experience. I know a friend who gets more money, but has to sign a contract that she will work for her employer in some facet for 3 years following her graduation date (not just the semester of assistance). To me, being forced to stay in a job for an unreasonable amount of time is not worth the assistance.

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