Published Jan 31, 2013
HappyBee
10 Posts
I am looking into going to WestCoast University to get my Bachelors in Nursing. I have been on a CC waitlist for over a year now. I feel so stuck and trapped. I have spent a lot of time on my pre-reqs to just put on hold. I had very good grades but due to budget cuts they only allow a few students per semester.
Would an employer look down at a RN degree through WestCoast University.
btw West Coast University is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).
The Baccalaureate and Masters Programs in Nursing are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE),
Is it worth over 100,000 to finish in 3 years? Your thoughts please...
mariebailey, MSN, RN
948 Posts
If you are taking out student loans, $100,000 is a lot of $. Look at the interest rate and what your minimum monthly payment will be when you graduate, and consider your projected salary. Can you afford it? I graduated from a well-known school with a mountain of debt, and I wish I was smarter about it. Don't let your debt be your ball and chain.
dah doh, BSN, RN
496 Posts
$100,000 is a lot of money to spend on a nursing degree! If its mostly loans, I'd watch out for your loan terms because nurses don't usually make all that much as a new grad; that is if you can find a job. Have you considered other less expensive programs in your area?
I have just applied to another community college. So now I'm on 2 waiting list. I really have been looking and it's almost a joke. I hope to get in but in the meantime I am hoping to find out more about WestCoast
Have you looked into WGU? They are a legitimate online nursing school and definitely not $100,000.
chuckster, ADN, BSN, RN, EMT-B
1,139 Posts
Frankly, I think that you would be extremely foolish to spend that kind of money for nursing degree from any school, let alone at one that apparently does not even have regional academic accreditation (the credits you earn may not transfer if you need to for some reason and probably won't be accepted at other fully accedited colleges if you decide to go on for your masters).
My advice is to do what you can to get into the CC program and once you've passed the NCLEX and are an RN, enroll in any of the many fully accredited (and low cost) RN-BSN programs. This route will be far less expensive than what you're looking at now.
I also STRONGLY suggest that you do not borrow to attend college unless you absolutely, positively have to. Student loans are very difficult to discharge, meaning that no matter what happens to you financially, you will have to pay the loan back in full with all interest and penalties (technically, they can be discharged but the courts rarely allow it). It's not well-known but student loans are actually one of the largest forms of debt in the US - more than $1 trillion, which exceeds consumer credit card debt. Your student loan can affect your credit score and in turn, your ability to buy a house or even a car. Heck, payments on a $100,000 loan are probably going to impact your ability to pay rent or buy food. Living in a trailer park and eating Ramen noodles gets old very quickly.
Bottom line: There are many other lower cost and more attractive ways to become a nurse. Just my two cents.
trueblue2000
55 Posts
No nursing degree is worth 100K.
soxgirl2008
382 Posts
I know it sucks waiting around to get into a program, but I really don't think a nursing degree is worth 100,000 of debt. That's an insane amount. The job market is so tight now there is no gurantee you could get a job right away, and then how do you start paying back those massive loans?
twinmommy+2, ADN, BSN, MSN
1,289 Posts
$100,000 is outragous! What will your title say when your done, HappyBee RN, BSN West Coast, nope, just the RN, BSN. Its your experience and what YOU bring to the table that speaks for you. That, the bridges you don't burn, having certifications in your chosen specialty, those will all go much further.
$100,000 when you add it up after paying for it, will come out to so much more, for something you could have gotten much much cheaper for an equivilant degree. Don't weight yourself down with that much debt. Don't be afraid of the lesser named colleges. Even look at the ADN and transfer to a 4 year institution.
I'm an ADN, working on my RN-BSN online, and I'll pay out probably $3000 a semester. And they are accredited. I also have 4 children to raise with my dh, and in the end, I will be just as competitive.
AFwife727, BSN, RN
105 Posts
No nurse should ever have to pay that much money for a BSN! Sounds like a scam to me. Definitely not worth it... I would run as fast as possible in the opposite direction, lol. There are plenty of other programs that are more reasonably priced than that.
elkpark
14,633 Posts
A) That's a heck of a lot of money to pay for a nursing degree, esp. if you're going to be taking out loans for a lot of it.
B) Some employers do look at what school you attended and, there's no way around it, some schools have better reputations than other schools. You just never know when it's going to make a difference to some potential employer.
Hygiene Queen
2,232 Posts
Can you possibly work in healthcare (if you are not already) while you wait to get into a reasonably priced school?
Some employers offer tuition reimbursement for their employees.
I got a job as a PCT, got tuition reimbursement (and a scholarship through work) and graduated nursing school (community college) with no debt.
I was just thinking that if you must wait to get into a school (that you can afford) you might as well use that time to your advantage.
Good luck.