the price of paper

1. 
   im thinking of getting my lvn and than going back for my r.n later but i was wondering which is better a pricey private college ( bryman, maric etc ) or should i just stick it out at a community college
   
   city college: wait list, pre reqs, takes about 2 years to finish but very cheap
   
   private college: small classes,takes 9 months to a 1 year and no wait list but very expensive
2. 

   About iluvmynavyman

   Joined: Jul '05; Posts: 106
   Retail

   3 Comments

   Topic Closed
3. 
   Sep 15, '06

   Well, it depends on what is important to you. Are you more worried about dept, or getting through school fast? From these forums, I've seen that it is easy for LVN's to pay back loans. So, if you can handle having debt, why not get through school in a year or less?
4. 
   Sep 15, '06

   I had the same ? as you, and ended up at a private college - once I submitted my FAFSA there, I was really surprised to find out the scholarships they offered, combined with state and federal grants, made it rather affordable. I really didn't take out any more loans that I would have anyway - I just wish I hadn't waited and finished my AA before going on to my BSN - it would have been cheaper for me to go through the whole program, considering that I lost state grants this year because I'd been in school for too long! Honestly, though - with the pre-reqs, the LPN (same as LVN) program, then the RN program - it took me less time to go for the 4 year after considering the wait list, the time for the pre-reqs, then the wait time for the LPN, the 9 mo or so for the LPN program... then the year to wait to get into the RN, then the year of the RN... I'm very glad I opted to go this route! Talk to a financial aid officer to see what your options are - good luck!
5. 
   Sep 15, '06

   I had this same problem. My job was coming to an end & I didn't have the skills to be hired for anything other than WalMart or fast food. The community college has a 1-1.5 year waiting list but costs about $6,000. The private college with a new program has no waiting list, costs over $14,000.
   I asked around, since the CC program is established, will their grads be more likely to get hired than the new program grads? I was told that the hospitals don't care where you graduate. If you can pass the boards, they are happy to hire you.
   
   Is it worth it to pay more & start sooner? I think so because during that 12-18 months that I'd have to wait I'd be working at $7-8 an hour. I'll make up the difference in no time.
   
   It's just a piece of paper.
   
   I'm starting class in 23 days at the private college.
   Dixie

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