Tuition Reimbursement Question ... Advice please!

[NurseB_]

Hello All,

I will be graduating in May 2012 and I have been doing a lot of thinking lately about employment after graduation and passing the NCLEX of course. I don't know exactly when I want to start applying for jobs, but I do want to get some hospitals in mind that I might want to apply to in the near future. With that said here is my dilemma ....

I've been receiving a scholarship from my local hospital since I've been in college, which has been 4 years and for this service I would have to come back and work for them for 4 years or pay them the money back with interest. Okay that's the easy part. I would like to explore other options before I go back to this hospital because I really don't want to move back home (small town) and I would really like to move to the city when I graduate. So I would like to see if any hospitals in the Atlanta area since I'm from GA would be willing to pay this money back for me in exchange for me working for them for the specified amount of years. Or I would like to know if they could possibly give me some type of tuition reimbursement every month and I could use that to pay off my loans for the hospital. I just really don't want to pay all that money back PLUS INTEREST just because I want to move, but then again I REALLY WANT TO GO TO THE CITY! So, that's my problem. My question is how do I approach hospitals and ask them in the simplest and easiest way for them to understand what I would like without making it seem like I would be costing them more money then it's worth? Who would I talk to about this? I just want to get some other options. I hope I didn't make this confusing but I've really been thinking hard about this and with graduation approaching rapidly I think it would be a good idea for me to start talking to hospitals about this possibility. If you know of any hospitals that do this could you please let me know because it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!:redpinkhe:redpinkhe

[Hygiene Queen]

Then ask yourself how a hospital would look at a new grad who asked for them to repay your tuition that another hospital supplied.

OP: when a hospital pays for an employee to further their education, they are looking at it as an investment for them.

When they gave you that money, they invested in you to become a nurse that they could use.

Asking for the Big City hospital to pay for your debt to the other hospital (a debt you chose to incur by breaking a contract) is nuts. The Big City hospital has absolutely no good reason to even want to pay Little City hospital for your education.

What? Are you that special that Big City hospital would be willing to give their money to another hospital... just to employ you?

I don't think you thought that one through.

[tokyoROSE, BSN, RN]

Thanks for everyone's honest opinion. No matter how harm they may seem I'm very grateful for them. I don't want to seem selfish because I'm really not that type of person. When I took the scholarship of course I took the opportunity. But now that I'm matured more and got more experience I just want a change of sensory. I don't think that's to much to ask for. I understand that it might sound selfish but that's just how I feel honestly. If I can't find a hospital to do that then I will gladly take that job. I just wanted to see what other options I had that's all.

Yes, that is too much to ask for. It is not a "maybe" I will work for you after I graduate, you signed a contract. It is legally binding. You have two options: Suck it up and fulfill your contract, or pay back that money yourself.

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

Thanks for everyone's honest opinion. No matter how harm they may seem I'm very grateful for them. I don't want to seem selfish because I'm really not that type of person. When I took the scholarship of course I took the opportunity. But now that I'm matured more and got more experience I just want a change of sensory. I don't think that's to much to ask for. I understand that it might sound selfish but that's just how I feel honestly. If I can't find a hospital to do that then I will gladly take that job. I just wanted to see what other options I had that's all.

As I pointed out before you can ask, and they can say NO. What papers did you sign.....it may obligate you and you'll have no choice if they say no. If you break the contract there will be litigation so I'd get a lawyer. Frankly I'd get a lawyer right now to look at your paperwork so your next post won't be......"They suspended my license and said I committed fraud! a"nd are going to press charges!!:eek:" Really? this suprises you? Even if they let you go....you will have to pay them back and it will take a whole lot longer than 4 years.

NOw I'm going to say something you aren't going to like........If I was your mother (I know I'm not) I would remind you that you are sounding like a petulant child and there are consequesces to your actions. YES I THINK YOU ARE ASKING OFR TOO MUCH! That you entered into a legally binding offer in good faith and they believed that you would fullfill your obligation....honesty and intergrity is an important part of being and adult and a NURSE. I would tell you That after allowing a facility to cough up somewhere around $70,000 for your education....you owe them, BIG TIME. Now put you big girl panties on and fullfill your obligation. It's like borrowing money to buy a new car and then not paying back the loan because you no longer like the color.

You want to be all grown up and mature......then you need to fullfill your obligations. Find your big city job in four years after you fullfill and payback what you owe....peace.

[Liz, RN]

I graduated in May of 2010... There are still people I graduated with that don't have a nursing job yet...

If they have a position for you; you should take it and when you have 4 years experience and a little money save up from living at home THEN move to the city when you are marketable.

Speaking from experience, relocating is expensive! With repaying loans and paying bills it is still difficult to make ends meet. Be thankful that this hospital invested time and money in your future!

[MrChicagoRN, RN]

You have a guaranteed position for four years and you want to dump it? Gutsy.

So, in essence, you are asking a hospital in(around) Atlanta for a 20k-60k+ sign on bonus for a new grad.

...ask yourself how a hospital would look at a new grad who asked for them to repay your tuition that another hospital supplied. If I were the HR department a HUGE red flag would pop up with the words "Flighty" and "Entitled", or worse, on it.

I agree that even asking for such an outrageous deal is going to eliminate any chance the candidate has of being hired.

Why spend the extra money when there are other equally qualified candidates? If I wanted to spend that much extra on a nurse, it would be spent on a proven high performer who could definitely bring value to the table

[SoCalCrystal, CNA]

NOw I'm going to say something you aren't going to like........If I was your mother (I know I'm not) I would remind you that you are sounding like a petulant child and there are consequesces to your actions. YES I THINK YOU ARE ASKING OFR TOO MUCH! That you entered into a legally binding offer in good faith and they believed that you would fullfill your obligation....honesty and intergrity is an important part of being and adult and a NURSE. I would tell you That after allowing a facility to cough up somewhere around $70,000 for your education....you owe them, BIG TIME. Now put you big girl panties on and fullfill your obligation. It's like borrowing money to buy a new car and then not paying back the loan because you no longer like the color.

:yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah:

I wish they had little smilies for a standing ovation!

[JROregon, ASN, BSN, RN]

At age 22 now, you will still be very young when your 4 years are up at that small-town hospital. At age 26, you will have the kind of experience that big city hospitals want and you'll be more credible. You'll be able to work at the hospital of your choice. If you decide to walk out on your obligations now, you may be working at an undesirable facility or unemployed, with an ugly debt that you cannot get out of, and just look bad. Stick with your small town benefactor and in 4 years you can write your own ticket to success.

[caroladybelle, BSN, RN]

You will be lucky to get a job at all. In this economy, few will give you extra, for any reason.

As far as asking.....

If any applicant I had, came to me with such a request, I would immediately decline giving them a job at all. That behavior demonstrates an incredible lack of integrity on the part of the applicant. And applicant that behaves that way once and has the temerity to ask another employer to bail him/her out, is probably going to behave that way in the future.

I regret to sound harsh, but you need to view this how your employers see it, and take it to account.

You are an adult. Either you fulfill your obligation in the contract or you pay the money.

This demonstrates why many facilities will not provide tuition assistance and why some facilities prefer not hiring new grads. The experienced nurse has a track record to demonstrate how s/he treats obligations.

[EveRose]

I guess I don't see the problem 1 - you either go work for the small hospital for 4 years to pay back their investment in you or 2 - you pay back the money you owe them with interest. That was the deal you agreed to.

Either way you're paying back the money with either time or cash your call. IMO they were good enough to take money from for 4 years but now that it's your turn to reciprocate they're not good enough for you - doesn't really speak much for your maturity or your ethics.

[Avocadoloveer]

same position as you. if you worked there already as intern, it will surely help answer your questions whether if its the place for you to work. at this point, yes take it and deal with it later. usually if you decide not to work there, you may have to pay back the amount of scholarship youre granted. good luck but like i say take it if its a great hospital and you wont even have to worry about looking for a job. you can just concentrate on passing your classes and nclex!

[honeykrown, MSN, NP]

Really i dont see the problem in wanting to move to the city. If that's what you want, go ahead do it but to ask someone else to chuck out money for your sense of entitlement is ridiculous.

Move to the city and pay back the loan with interest, also with all the bills and expenses in the city i bet you would be regretting the move in a year time.

My advice: stay put where you have an offer or at least until you have an offer for a job. At least you would have the means to pay back instead of moving and not finding a job and you have burned bridges along the way. I work in a rural town (im from the city) and these 5months have gone by really fast and i absolutely love it and its so different from city work.

[hgrimmett]

What everyone else said. I also wanted to point out that if you get a 12 hr shift working 3 days/week (pretty common schedule) that will leave you 4 free days to take care of life stuff.. and you could use some of that to spend some extended time in the big city you're contemplating.