I am a pre-nursing student trying to gather as much information and opinions as I can. I have already taken my HESI, submitted transcripts and GPA to a school that is a 3 year, pre-reqs included Accelerated BSN that costs $87K.
About me: 27 YOF, single, self-reliant. I have been a medical esthetician for 10 years in Southern CA and burnt out on my career and lack of advancement opportunities. My current company may also be acquired in the next few years and I am concerned about job opportunities in the future as I was laid off in Aug. 2013 and it took me 8+ months to find full time work in my industry that would pay me what I could survive on in Southern CA. My school is located in NV - so I would be relocating alone, for cheaper cost of living.
So my question is... is it worth it to take out $87K+ in loans for a quick way to obtain my BSN and start working sooner rather than later? I am concerned about this financially however my future is uncertain in my industry if I were to decide to take 2-3 years for my pre-reqs at a community college, get on a wait list for other programs and then take 2 years to complete those nursing programs.
Have you considered relocating away from that area? I'm in an accelerated BSN program that only costs 20K.
What absn program are you attending for 20k if you don't kind my asking? You can pm me as well.
Hi I'm not OP, but in a VERY similar situation aka I'm desperately seeking a career change into nursing and some of the faster options in California cost upwards of 40k. It's really bad out here. I feel your pain OP!!
I am stuck taking 1-2 at a time due to my work schedule. As I mentioned before, CA CC are impacted. There are wait lists for pre-reqs... So what kind of availability can you assume I would have taking night classes only? In addition, I take my GPA seriously. I have a 3.7 now. I wouldn't want to overwhelm myself with full time work and school and have my GPA suffer so in turn my nursing school application for ADN wouldn't be considered.
I think the idea of AZ could also be an excellent idea, and I think there are job opportunities in my field there. I'll check it out. I don't know if out of state tuition would apply to me though? I was under the impression you had to be a resident for 1+ year to avoid that added tuition cost.
And just because I applied for something, doesn't mean I am blind to all other opportunities. I've applied to plenty of jobs that I don't always take because they are total crap. :) Application doesn't mean automatic follow through or guarenteed acceptance on either side.
Im also wondering if any of the AZ schools accept online course work for the science prerequisites? I ask because most schools require "wet labs" which makes it hard to complete courses online which is limiting when you work ft. And it has been a nightmare for me to enroll in prerequisites at local cc's in CA. Most require a ton of prerequisites and even those are waitlisted. A&P Is always packed by the time it's time for my enrollment. If anyone has suggestions on other schools out of state (absn, adn) with no wait list it would be great to drop them here! Thanks :) Good luck op maybe we'll be classmates one day ; )....i have seen some rn jobs paying 70k out here so 87k may not be too horrible if you're able to live modestly for a few years
I have one of those super expensive BSNs. I always advise people who ask about my program to look at as many options as possible before committing. It made sense for me but only because all of the BSN programs where I live were severely wait-listed or inaccessible to me with just a 3.33 GPA.
Something to point out: You will not get as good an education at an accelerated program. You will be taught to the test and the NCLEX. You simply will not have the time to study anything in depth. NCLEX pass rates for my school were great. Everyone I know passed with less than 80 questions but I often admire the depth of knowledge I see in other nurses. I feel like I am always playing catch-up, doing a lot of studying now that I am a working acute-care RN.
Would you say that now that you are working you are also able to manage the debt load? Are you happier now then you would've been had you not decided to go the expensive rt?
Would you say that now that you are working you are also able to manage the debt load? Are you happier now then you would've been had you not decided to go the expensive rt?
Me? I am a second career RN and my husband and I already had assets and I hated my old career. I am delighted to be an RN with the mobility of a BSN. I am also pragmatic and don't dwell on the past. My debt is my debt. I wish I had gone another route but I am not sure that was even an option. I hope to get my debt waived after 10 years at a non-profit, though I am not sure how much debt I will have by then.
Will student loan debt stop you from buying a house or having kids in the next 10 years?
Thank you for responding! It sounds like you have done well for v yourself and family. I am happy to hear that their is a glimmer of hope even if I go the expensive route. For me, I don't plan on having kids for at least 10 years lol. My partner and I are pretty frugal as is and pla to purchase property eventually, really cheap so that we can rent it out. ..if I took on a huge debt we'd live with family and continue to live frugally for a year after I started working 1st just to pay it off. LOL then we'd continue to live frugally probably until we die. ..but thank you for bringing that up it definitely has given me something to think about in terms of children/housing.
Hi Hopeful, I know, it's just terrible here! Where are you located? My friend, BSN, (starts new job for insurance co. on Mon. making $70k.... She's only been licensed for 2 years.) said to take online classes for GE at Southlake Tahoe Community College, and then coordinate the science labs at the comm. colleges here and enroll to as many as possible. National Univ in SD has 8 week science classes with labs on Sat. I think. Just not sure if National Transfers
oh I'll look into south lake Tahoe! I'm in northern California right now. I wonder if there are courses that I can there where the labs meet on weekends I've never even heard of that College I'll look into it. Did your friend go to an expensive school? How is she/he managing the debt?
No she did her pre reqs at SLT Comm College and then did Accelerated BSN at University of Nevada Reno which was 16 mos. She was explaining to me that there is a "good neighbor" program between CA and Reno NV so there was not out of state tuition. You can apply and enroll to any CA comm college and attend 100% online classes for your GE, and focus on nursing pre reqs at local colleges. She also was explaining how she did the BSN pre reqs at the same time as something else, I can't remember it all now. But she advised to find schools on a quarterly system so you can get more classes done within a years time instead of semesters that go longer. Good luck.
For everyone who commented, kindly or brash, I AM indeed looking at the community college options and getting creative with ideas on how to complete them efficiently while working full time. From 100% online classes in Nor Cal for GE, to moving to Reno NV or AZ.... Still searching for a way! I have a few schools I am contacting, and met with my local Comm College this week to see what other classes I need. So, your words didn't fall on deaf ears. :)
hopefulkim99
622 Posts
What absn program are you attending for 20k if you don't kind my asking? You can pm me as well.
Hi I'm not OP, but in a VERY similar situation aka I'm desperately seeking a career change into nursing and some of the faster options in California cost upwards of 40k. It's really bad out here. I feel your pain OP!!