advice on LPN school & UNITEK in bay area

[CNA1488]

Where I live the nursing school at the JC has been cut down to 60 applicants accepted a year with 400 applicants... ive basically given up hope. I found a LPN school (unitek) 3 hours away where my husbands parents live and i could live with them rent free while i complete it for 11 months.

Ive already been accepted but said I would have to think about it... only issue is, when i graduate i would have a 25,000 loan to pay off (we already calculated everything with interest. this 25k is after financial aid and the small downpayment we would make before)...my husband and i are thinking it would be worth it , because i would be an lpn IN A YEAR and making a decent salary and could probably pay it off in 2 years then go for my RN. i am definitely sick and tired of being a CNA... if i stay here, i have 2 years left of pre - reqs (i have to retake my science classes that i have B's in because B's arent good enough here) then theres a chance i still might not be accepted here. so basically if i dont go to unitek and stay here it could be 4, 5, years until i get to be a nurse...

so my first question is, what are your guys opinions??? my husband and i go back and forth and not sure what to do. like i said, only issue here is having a 25,000 loan. but i guess a lot of students with good educations have large loans.

second question is, anyone familiar with Unitek???

Thanks!!!

[nekozuki, LPN]

I am absolutely of the opinion that in this day and age, no one should take on that much debt in a profession that isn't nearly as recession-proof as the media says. Given the surplus of RN grads willing to work for lower and lower wages, I'd definitely recommend a public/not-for-profit program. Save the debt for your RN or later education, because that is when you'll truly need it!

If you were unable to secure employment as an LPN, would that break you financially? If no, then go for it with the wonderful support of your spouse. If yes, then being more financially cautious and sticking it out as a CNA might be the better deal.

If it's any incentive, my friend recently graduated as an RN, and those with CNA experience are the ONLY ones who have gotten jobs yet.