How Much in Student Loans Do YOU Have?

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:twocents::twocents::twocents::twocents:Just an assessment of how much it costs for a nursing degree these days. How much do YOU have in student loans??? The whole bit: living expenses, books, clinical fees, all the physicals, etc. :bugeyes::twocents::twocents::twocents::twocents::twocents::twocents:
Zero. I have been paying cash the entire way. I saved up before I started school and my savings was depleted by the end of fist semester (I paid cash for pre-reqs and co-reqs too). I continue to work two jobs full-time during the breaks and summer and the same two jobs part-time during the school year.

I already made the mistake with prior degrees taking out loans, I won't do it again!! It will take me about two years to pay off the prior loans without reimbursement to know what financial freedom feels like!:up: I may have someone pay for my MSN (or PhD) when the times comes, but my BSN I can easily pay for attending a state school and working as a nurse full-time. GL! :twocents:

Sounds like Dave Ramsey. I'm better than I deserve as well, went through NS with no debt, and continue to be that way. I'm weird, I owe no one for anything. Normal is dead broke, and one pay check away from homeless.

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:nurse:

thanks for all of your input!! i really appreciate it!!!!! good luck with your nursing careers!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.
Sounds like Dave Ramsey. I'm better than I deserve as well, went through NS with no debt, and continue to be that way. I'm weird, I owe no one for anything. Normal is dead broke, and one pay check away from homeless.

Good for you! I'm also debt free and its a shame that we are the minority. It always irritates me when people that live far better than I do when it comes to material things and also make more money complain about being broke. There is something to be said for living below your means.

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Thanks to Georgia, I get to go to school for free.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Surgical ICU.

I have 24K for now and have 4 semsters left in my bsn program.

Private school is killing my pocket, but I have to admit I love my program. They are good to us. :)

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Specializes in med-surg.
If there is any way you can do it without quitting your job you will be far better off than the ones that graduate with $50,000 in debt and the attitude that it is "good" debt. Just my two cents but NO debt is good debt.

FYI, not everyone has the option of a CC. There's a 3+ year wait where I live so I chose to go private. Tuition plus living expenses will leave me with $60K in student loans. Debt is often unavoidable so yes, there is such a thing as good debt.

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Specializes in NeuroICU/SICU/MICU.

I don't owe any money, but I owe 4 years of time to one of the larger medical centers in town when I graduate. I could buy out if it comes to that..if I did, it'd be around 18k I think.

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.
FYI, not everyone has the option of a CC. There's a 3+ year wait where I live so I chose to go private. Tuition plus living expenses will leave me with $60K in student loans. Debt is often unavoidable so yes, there is such a thing as good debt.

Fortunately in my area getting into a CC is based solely on your GPA and entrance exam. I was with ya until you added that you are borrowing for living expenses. We will have to agree to disagree this time.

:wink2:

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Specializes in med-surg.
Fortunately in my area getting into a CC is based solely on your GPA and entrance exam. I was with ya until you added that you are borrowing for living expenses. We will have to agree to disagree this time. :wink2:

I'll agree to disagree! :p

The program I'm in is an accelerated 16-month BSN program, which means no time to work, unless I want to sacrafice my GPA. But since I want to go on for my MSN, I want to keep it as high as possible. The people in our program that do work 10-20 hrs/wk have worse grades or are so miserable that they are bordering on a breakdown. So I decided to get extra loans so that I can stay out of work for duration of the program.

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I took out a loan for 50k but this was not just for nursing school. It was also for living expenses to compensate going from full time to part time and we also used it for some home repairs and remodeling. Honestly, it is paying for xmas, vacations and the kids extra activities too.

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Specializes in SRNA.

I'm glad that this thread hasn't turned into something it could have, a few folks on their high horse about not taking loans and looking down on those who do (I'm being sincere). When it comes to school (and personal) finances, its important to keep in mind that all of us have varying long-term career goals and time in which we hope to take to get there. There is value for some of us in choosing the programs that we do, though many individuals may not be making the same choice. I am realistic about the loan balance I will have, the interest I will pay and the salary I will be making to start.

If an individual has their head on straight about the realities of taking loans to pursue their nursing school goal, I believe they are in good shape :)

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Specializes in behavioral health.

With all of the interest, I now owe $41,000. I am only an LPN. Originally, I started out in RN school. I went to school for MA before nursing school, so I exhausted all of my grant money. But, I was a single mom and used the extra on my kids. I have boo-koo interest because I kept putting it in deferrment, forebearance because I was not working.(on disability) And, it is very hard to get loan forgiven even if you are on disability. But, hopefully I will get back to work and start paying on it again.

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