I've seen a lot of debate in this question and I'm looking for some guidance.
I live on Long Island and have finished all of my pre-requisites. I just applied for a BSN program for the fall of 2012, but the tuition is about 22k a year, and it will take me about 3 years to complete.(thats 68k a year, on top of all my other loans I have out). In another aspect, I can try for a far more competivie 2 year nursing program for an extreme fraction of the price (about 4k a year for 2 years).
Should I pursue the BSN anyway? I hear now-days the BSN's have a big leading edge in getting jobs over the ADNs but how much truth is there to this?
I'm just nervous that if I go for my BSN and take out all these loans, i'll owe so much money and will have a hard time paying it back. Is it worth it!?
yes go for it. price doesn't matter as long as you will learn the same amount or more than what is expected. Maybe that private university is well known that why they are that expensive.
Well its a plus when you apply for a job because some employers rely on the school where you finished your BSN..
Are you kidding me, price doesn't matter?? You have to pay back a loan. It is not a hand out. In this economy, price definitely matters. And price does not equal quality. Private universities are all expensive-- isn't that the hallmark of a private university? However, as someone stated, they also tend to offer a good amount of scholarships and grants.
From a BSN nurse, once you get a job in the hospital, the degree doesn't matter unless you decide you want to get a Master's. I don't even know which of my co-worker's has a BSN vs. ADN. But that is once you get the job...I hear the market is tough for new grads in NYC, in which case getting your BSN is supposed to give you an edge. But I would be pretty careful about getting into debt that you can't get out of, especially if you are looking at a few months unemployed after you graduate. Getting a BSN isn't going to be worth it if it puts you into debt until you're 80. To brighten this post a little bit, it isn't quite so tough getting a job in Western NY (Rochester/Buffalo areas). You can also try to apply for some outside loans, and if you talk to the Financial Aid department they can usually scrounge up a few scholarships for students willing to put in a little effort.
Thank you everyone for all the great comments! I think after careful consideration I'm going to try and get into one of the two state schools (one is for the ADN and the other school for the BSN). Though it will delay my career in pursuing it because I have to retake a course and take a couple new classes to be elligible to apply I think it will be well worth it. There's no reason I should have to pay for a school that will leave me in debt as if I was in law or medical school!
tokyoROSE, BSN, RN
1 Article; 526 Posts
Are you kidding me, price doesn't matter?? You have to pay back a loan. It is not a hand out. In this economy, price definitely matters. And price does not equal quality. Private universities are all expensive-- isn't that the hallmark of a private university? However, as someone stated, they also tend to offer a good amount of scholarships and grants.