DUKE ABSN Fall 2012

2bEsqtoRN · Mar 16, 2012

Hey kce!!!, Welcome back and congratulations on your other acceptances! I hear MUSC is a great school as well. Are you leaning one way over another? Is Duke still in the running?

Thanks for your advice and perspective on the finances needed to attend Duke. I swear, top nursing schools are becoming just like top business and law schools out there: only accessible to those that have the means to attend. But I've since realized students are paying for the name and the networking. Duke Nursing is top notch and I've seldom heard students complain about the education they had received from Duke. I personally consider higher education - especially that from an elite institution - an investment and while the loans to attend a nursing school like Duke or John Hopkins can be close to six-figures, the benefits are worth every cent.

That said, I wish Duke Nursing would have taken a more proactive approach in providing more scholarships/grants to their students, including MADIN scholars. I know last year was MADIN's first cohort and they are still trying to iron out some issues, financial support included. Hopefully the program remains an option for years to come as I am a strong proponent for increasing the racial diversity of nursing, especially at the post-graduate level.

kce32305 · Mar 16, 2012

Hey 2b!

I agree that networking opportunities at such institutions are invaluable - I now have so many resources and connections via mentors in the advanced practice specialty I'm hoping to pursue. And with the increasing competition in such educational paths, personally knowing someone working in your prospective field or on the admissions committee of a program you hope to attend will only help you.

Right now all 3 schools are in the running. I'd love to go to Duke and have that guaranteed job they're offering MADIN scholars after graduation, but I'm a huge proponent of giving yourself as many options as possible and exploring all of them. Since I'm from Charleston, MUSC is a great choice. Their program is the same length and has the same start and end dates as Duke, and they have many scholarships. Plus living at home would eliminate food and living costs for 16 months. Saint Louis starts a couple weeks after I graduate in May and is 1 year long (the shortest of them all), but is a private institution with almost no scholarship funding and is a bit pricey as well.

One of my friends in Duke's program now has received around 40k plus in scholarships, not including tuition reimbursement she will get after graduation. This is the same package I hope to get if I go. 21k from MADIN (not including the $250 stipend she'll get from MADIN during her last semester), 9k in need based scholarship, and 10k from the Robert Wood Johnson. Certainly not a bad financial deal. Then again, she doesn't mind working for 3 years to recoup her 62% of her tuition and doesn't have the 30k debt I do from her previous degree. So, everyone's situation is different I guess.

poodle5 · Mar 16, 2012

can we just clarify on this so I don't continually get my hopes up. MADIN is only for ethic minorities correct? So if you are not an ethnic minority its not even an option at all? Its just mouth watering to read about all the extra help available and then crushing to know that I have no chance

kce32305 · Mar 16, 2012

poodle,

your sad face breaks my heart! Unfortunately, you are correct. MADIN is only for ethnic minorities (and all races of men i THINK); in other words, groups underrepresented in nursing.. The program is aimed at increasing the number of doctoral-prepared minority nurse leaders finishing at the DNP or PhD level.

2bEsqtoRN · Mar 16, 2012

One of my friends in Duke's program now has received around 40k plus in scholarships, not including tuition reimbursement she will get after graduation. This is the same package I hope to get if I go. 21k from MADIN (not including the $250 stipend she'll get from MADIN during her last semester), 9k in need based scholarship, and 10k from the Robert Wood Johnson. Certainly not a bad financial deal. Then again, she doesn't mind working for 3 years to recoup her 62% of her tuition and doesn't have the 30k debt I do from her previous degree. So, everyone's situation is different I guess.

AMAZING!!! Where can I sign up? How do they even choose the amount of scholarship money per MADIN scholar? What factors do they consider? GPA? Science majors? Underprivileged/poor circumstances? That's a sweet deal!

kce32305 · Mar 16, 2012

I actually wish they(MADIN) considered those things. It would make sense that those with higher need, better grades, etc. should get more funding. But they just divide the amount of funding they have available by the number of scholars. There are 10 scholars per cohort. If, say, only 7 choose to start the ABSN program, they'd divide that extra funding among the 7 remaining. This must have been the case this past year, because my friend told me MADIN has done stuff for them they hadn't anticipated, like buying ALL their books last semester AND this semester. They really want to help you out. If they have the extra money, they'll find some way to help.

DUSON's regular financial aid office considers financial need (your EFC) when awarding need- based scholarships. For Robert Wood Johnson scholarships (the $10,000 award), they consider ethnicity (think it's only for minorities) and read your personal statement you submitted with your application. For the RWJ, they don't find out until the end of the summer if they've even been selected to receive funding that year so those awards are typically made last-minute.

moggsy · Mar 16, 2012

2bEsqtoRN - you are several years off from applying to nursing school, correct? I can't keep everybody straight...

poodle - there was a place on the Duke application to check if you were interested in being considered for the MADIN program, so I think you missed the boat. If you're not a URM, you're out of luck...

I think kce makes some good points. I'm actually surprised the MADIN scholars don't get more funding - I was initially thinking they got a free deal, but 15k-21k isn't very much in the grand scheme of things. I don't think anybody reading this should get the sense that scholarship money is easy to come by. Like kce points out, her friend only received so much because she fell into the need-based/URM category. Almost all the scholarships I have looked at require that you are a URM or have overcome some extreme obstacle in life.

kce, MUSC sounds like an amazing deal for you, and it's a great school (so is St. Louis). Living at home saves a ton of $$.

In all honesty, I probably wouldn't be focused solely on Duke if I wasn't in a position to pay for the program (or pay for most of the program) out of pocket. A poster from the Jan. 2012 ABSN thread used the loan calculator and worked out that if you take out 100k in private loans, you'll have a monthly payment of $800-$1000 when you graduate, which is some serious stuff. If you are lucky enough to have gotten into other cheaper (but excellent) schools, I would have a hard time ignoring those options. Duke is a fabulous school (and my only choice at this point), but money talks, and taking out so much money in loans is a huge decision. You also can't bank on getting tuition reimbursement (which kce said).

2bEsqtoRN · Mar 16, 2012

2bEsqtoRN - you are several years off from applying to nursing school, correct? I can't keep everybody straight...

Hey moggsy, is applying next year Fall 2013 considered several years off?

I know I stalk this thread like I am applying this year but it's because I love reading about your admission cycles. It gives me the encouragement to push on with my prereqs knowing that one day I will be in similar shoes. Of course when I am getting ready to apply you will be almost done with nursing school at Duke (I am rooting for ya, girlie

).

moggsy · Mar 16, 2012

No worries - just thought if you are a few years off, the whole MADIN/funding situation might be all sorted out by the time you apply. If there is one thing I understand, it's creeping on these boards... :)

madan · Mar 17, 2012

Hey kce,

I was recently accepted into the MADIN program, and they've been telling me that the only amount of funding to expect from them would be between $3500-$7000. But you stated that you expect to get around 21k from them...does MADIN have more funding then they let on?

I'm torn about accepting the Duke offer, because I just found out I got into UNC. I visited both programs and I volunteered with UNC hospital, and I think, that Duke is by far the better program. The only thing standing in my way is the cost. However, if participating in the madin program guarantees a job, I would definitely pick Duke. I spoke with the director of the program, and although she alluded to the deal with Duke hospital, she said that she couldn't comment because it wasn't finalized. With that said, do you know how many of the current madin scholars have jobs lined up at the Duke hospital or a Duke facility? Also, do you know how many of the madin scholars actually received the Robert Wood Johnson Scholarship?

I hate asking all of these questions about funding, because every other aspect of the program has me sold.

kce32305 · Mar 17, 2012

Don't be hesitant about asking questions about funding! It's a very important subject matter unfortunately.

All of us, from the summer 2011 cohort that chose to go to Duke received/will receive 21k plus a $250 monthly stipend during the last semester of the program. HOWEVER, MADIN funding, just like Robert Wood Johnson, is not promised from year to year. MADIN is federally funded, so in any given year, the government can choose to give Duke alot, a little, or NO money at all for this program. MADIN grant funding is something the coordinators spend a countless amount of time applying for. The more they receive, the more they can offer the scholars.

As a student still finishing undergrad, I can tell you that the federal government has SEVERELY cut educational funding. About 5k in grants that I was receiving for being a science major with good grades simply disappeared this academic year. I would imagine that this drastic reduction in funding applies to educational initiatives like MADIN also. The severe reduction in funding you speak about for this year's cohort tells me that the government simply gave them MUCH less money this year . There's nothing they can do about it unfortunately. Though I'm sure Duke itself, being a world-renowned private institution, has the funds to increase diversity in the nursing school by supporting programs like MADIN, it chooses not to.

I can assure you that the program directors aren't "holding out" on money they could be giving you, though in times of frustration, it can certainly feel that way. It's just that MADIN is truly a separate entity from Duke financially speaking. Duke funds MADIN in no way, shape, or form, and this program is at the sole mercy of the federal government's funding preferences. It's true that the hospital deal isn't "officially" finalized yet, but it seems pretty guaranteed at this point - a guaranteed job and guaranteed tuition reimbursement after graduation. All of us from the first cohort have guaranteed jobs at Duke (if we choose to take them) upon graduating from the ABSN program, and it is my understanding that all MADIN scholars after us will have this deal also. I'm not sure how many MADIN scholars are receiving the RWJ scholarship. My friend is, I know. And that scholarship is separate from MADIN. You have a chance of getting it whether or not you're a MADIN scholar, as long as you're a minority.

guest464345 · Mar 17, 2012

I am a minority but didn't apply for MADIN (partly because from my brief discussions with them it didn't seem to be attached to much money - harsh, but true - partly for other reasons such as getting to NC over the summer, etc)....I'm glad to hear that I might still qualify for RWJ if they get funds.

At this point, I would just like to get some basic financial aid info. First they told me I needed to modify my FAFSA to 5th yr undergrad/2nd bachelor's, which I had already done in early February, then they couldn't find my FAFSA at all, then it turned out they had it, and finally they told me that for sure I'd have the package by yesterday. But so far, nada.

I agree with you, kce...it's nice to be idealistic and all, but money is a big deal. A Duke ABSN student could end up with loan payments that are like renting a second apartment (for years and years and years)! You gotta take that seriously.