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.
You're welcome! And the other school was National University, but I am not 100% certain if those transfer. I thought it was a private, non-profit school but please double check to wherever you're looking to transfer your BSN. I did my public speaking class with them and it was awesome and easy, and transferred so far. Maybe I'll see you up North soon! :)
oh okay I'll look into National as well. I'm surprised Nevada has quite a few nursing programs that are accelerated. You should also look into those nursing loan forgiveness programs as well no matter where you choose to go! :)
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 took all but one of my sciences online. Due to work and family, brick and mortar schooling was not the most feasible for all the pre reqs. I basically just made it work through nursing school because I had to.
So yes, most if not all, AZ schools will accept online science courses that provide a corresponding online lab.
I believe UofA requires a certain amount of in person lab time, but I didn't look too deep into it because they also required history and language for their degree, I believe, and I didn't want to take those courses.
I am currently taking classes through NAU for their RN-BSN and they had no problem with my online science coursework.
Had I not taken extra loans out so I could cut back on work and pay for the additional daycare needed for my children, my education would have been about $20000 total if counting in the tuition for my last 6 classes I need for the BSN. Adding in the extra, my total loan value is roughly $40000, which feels crappy but doable as far as repayment. That's why I just can't imagine spending over $100K for my degree.
Apply to a State University. It's tough to get in, but in Florida, you can earn a BSN for well under 10k at a State school. Don't go into 87k of debt. Just my humble opinion. Good luck!
thank you for your response. I'll start looking into az schools. I do believe Californians may get discounted tuition. 40k for everything is GREAT! congrats to you! !!! :)
I am totally surprised that no one else has taken this much or more in loans out, or they are not commenting. I would love to hear back from anyone how has high loans to repay, is going to Chamberlain or West Coast please and thank you!
There are more people that have taken on this amount of debt for their degree.. they're either not on this site, or not piping to be ridiculed by those who are dead set against it.
That's not to say that every person advising your against it is wrong. It IS A HUGE debt that you will carry until it is paid off in full. There is no way around it. Short of death or serious dismemberment/disability.. there is no other way out of student debt but to pay it off in full. That is the reality.
All other debt has an out in a pinch. Bankruptcy, repossession, foreclosure.. hell, even the IRS only has 10 years to collect back taxes before it's forgiven... student loans are there either for life, or until you pay them off. That IS something to consider.
My loan payment is around $640/mo. I'm looking into programs that discharge the remainder after 10 years.. there are programs if you choose to work in an undeserved area... If you're willing to work in this capacity for 10 years.. you can have a lot of your loans forgiven. Look into this.
Finally, look inside yourself. Are you a person that makes choices and regrets them later?? There are plenty of nurses on this board who will tell you the reget becoming a nurse for many reasons, often these reasons have nothing to do with the loans but the job of being a nurse in and of itself.
What if you take out 90K and end up HATING everything about being a nurse? That debt is a hard pill to swallow if you're unhappy with the work.
I personally do not regret going to nursing school or having taken out loans to help pay for it... if I have a regret, it's not doing it sooner than I did.
I am not a student at Chamberlain but I know several, and they love it, albeit expensive. Have you met with an admissions advisor yet? Ask them if you can speak speak to someone in financial aid so they can review your options. They are required by law to provide this information.
Have you completed your FAFSA? Definitely complete it, if only to find out your eligibility for need-based financial aid (including grants and scholarships). Apply for scholarships, sure they are more limited than money you have to pay back but every little bit counts. If you are planning to work, look for an employer that provides tuition assistance. Or even work-study at whichever school you choose.
And last but NOT least, minimize the amount of debt you take out to ONLY what you NEED. The future you, will be thankful. If you have to borrow loans, remember that there are loan forgiveness programs for nurses if you meet certain criteria, and some hospitals even include student loan repayment in their benefit packages for nurses. So all would not be lost if you have to borrow, just keep it to a minimum.
Chamberlain's 3-year BSN program, almost all non-nursing classes can be transferred in from a community college, so be sure to ask an admission advisor about this, they will be able to tell you which local community college courses match their requirements.
You have received some good advice from the other posters, the decision is ultimately yours. Good luck!
You've probably made up your mind already, but if you're willing to consider out of state- Louisiana has a nursing shortage, particularly in the New Orleans area. I'm in an accelerated program and will have paid out roughly 14k for the degree. Jobs start off at 22.50 an hour plus shift differential around here. All of the nursing schools here have a good reputation as well.
I just talked to a CNA at my facility. She has a second job at a LTC that is paying 100% of her tuition in exchange for a two year commitment once she passes the NCLEX. Pretty sweet deal.
You've probably made up your mind already, but if you're willing to consider out of state- Louisiana has a nursing shortage, particularly in the New Orleans area. I'm in an accelerated program and will have paid out roughly 14k for the degree. Jobs start off at 22.50 an hour plus shift differential around here. All of the nursing schools here have a good reputation as well.
Do you mind sharing the name of the school? You can pm me as well!
thank you for your response. I'll start looking into az schools. I do believe Californians may get discounted tuition. 40k for everything is GREAT! congrats to you! !!! :)
Also, if they do not, you only have to be a resident for 6 mos to get in state tuition cost. I also relocated from California, albeit for a different reason. When I applied for the MCCCD schools, the residency question asked if I had been an AZ resident for more the 6 months. This is in the Phoenix metro area. I don't know if the residency requirements for the Tucson schools or the more rural areas is different.
But heck, even paying the out of state tuition cost a a CC for 1-2 semesters is still going to be cheaper than Chamberlain.
KJet5
47 Posts
You're welcome! And the other school was National University, but I am not 100% certain if those transfer. I thought it was a private, non-profit school but please double check to wherever you're looking to transfer your BSN. I did my public speaking class with them and it was awesome and easy, and transferred so far. Maybe I'll see you up North soon! :)