Before I potentially put myself into debt, is LPN school even worth it? I'm set to start a vocational LPN program in September that will cost almost $13,000. That amount doesn't even include loans I may have to take out to cover living expenses, since it was suggested we not work at all during the 10 months of the program. I also did a job search for LPN positions in my area, as well as most of the state, and I must say I'm rather disappointed. Not one hospital, that I looked at is hiring an LPN for anything other than home health care. I couldn't find any openings at all in anything other than home health and a few nursing homes and there seems to be almost no openings for those with less than 3 years experience as an LPN. Is the money and stress worth it?
Am I better off doing a CNA or PCT course that costs $2,000 and going back to the community college and getting my RN? Of course there's a two year wait list for the RN program , but I have tons of pre-reqs to do. The hospital in my town has tons of openings for PCT's and CNA's without experience. So it should be fairly easy to get a job.
I'm so confused on what to do, my ultimate goal is to be an RN. I just figured that going the LPN route would land me a good job so I could work my way through the RN program. If LPN jobs are hard to come by, then I'm just essentially wasting money that could be used on the RN program and a degree. I just can't seem to justify spending $13,000, of my own money, when there's a good chance I won't be able to find a job after I finish.
If anyone has any advice it would be GREATLY appreciated! Thank You! =]
Thanks for the input everyone! I’ve done my research on programs. This is the cheapest, it’s a county, non profit vocational school. I know people who have went here, for other programs, it’s not a shady place. Some of you have to remember your $10,000 school back in 2005 is probably pushing $20,000 today. I looked into this vocational school two years ago and it was $7,000.
I looked into other programs in the state like Lincoln Tech, Career School, and others. Not only are these schools up in North Jersey about an hour and a half away, but they are ridiculously expensive at $20,000+ for everything. They also came off as extremely shady and desperate. After looking into these places they would call me everyday, and I mean every single day. Asking me where I worked, what I was doing with my life, why I didn’t want to attend their program and how my life would be so much better after paying $20,000 for an LPN program. I’ve decided to stay away from private schools.
Again I wasn’t questioning the salary of an LPN, I know they can make good money. Some of you are like do it because LPN’s can make $50,000 a year, I understand this, but if I’m not able to get a job that fact won’t matter. I’ll just be in major debt instead.
I’m kind of wondering if the job market is really that bad (I know it's not amazing) or some people are just unmotivated. (not to be mean!) Most of you graduated LPN programs 6+ years ago and say you are successful, do you think you’d be successful if you graduated in 2012? Were you successful because of the economy back then or are you motivated person? Those say they’ve had no success as an LPN, how motivated are you? Do you just fill out apps/resumes online and hope for a call back? Or are you out everyday handing out resumes in person and following up on them?
I’m just curious because people these days claim to have a tough time finding even minimum wage or “non degree” work, but there’s plenty out there. I've never had a problem finding any and I'm nothing special. People act like everything is below them, like it’s better to not work than to work at Wal-Mart… Some people just sit home all day, wondering why they can’t find work, when they’re not really looking or they're not willing to work somewhere other than what they imagined. Is nursing the same way, are people being too picky? Are people not finding work because they want to work in L&D or the ER and not even applying to LTC facilities?
Specializes in pediatrics, geriatric, developmentally d.
actually i think you're right about people being picky i applied to just about every medical facility LTC, HH, Dialysis centers, Clinics, hospitals, schools, you name it. I was persistent and eventually got ahold of each hiring manager. It wasnt as bad as people say (at least for me) i had good news that they were hiring and i got not so good news saying they just got done with their hiring process. you just cant give up give yourself the motivation and prove other people wrong! always call and show yourself i got plenty of thank you's for stopping by instead of just faxing or emailing my resume. They would keep my app on file and they did because i got plenty of call backs but couldnt go through with it because i accepted a school nurse position which i love im glad i got to experience something like this.
There’s DEFINITELY people being too picky. Some people can’t fathom spending all that money on nursing school and working in LTC, home health, or a doctors office. Everyone wants to work in L&D or the ER because it’s glamorized on TV. Is there a show that glamorizes what it’s like to work Med-Surg or take care of the elderly? Sometimes you have to take what you can get and some people just rather not. I do agree there are unmotivated people out there. I work the front desk of rehab facility and have done so for the last 20 years. Everyday resumes come through fax or email, and what happens? They’re usually trashed or deleted. We do not open emailed resumes sent as an attachment due to viruses and things like that. I’ve looked over the resumes that come via fax and 90% of them aren’t resumes, but a listing on personal info much like a job application: name, address, phone number, where they worked, and where they went to school. The whole point of a resume is to sell yourself and explain how amazing you are, why you’d be good for the job. Not to mention most of them are written with absolutely horrific grammar… The HR manager at my job LOVES when people walk in with confidence and ask to speak with her and personally hand her their resume. It says a lot about you and very few people do this! Those people land interviews with her and she offers most of them a job, even if it’s per diem or on call. It’s better than nothing. If you want a job show some initiative and hand resumes out in person, it will make you stand out!
I personally think success depends on who are you and what kind of personality you have more so than the economy. There’s new grad LPN’s who get amazing jobs right away and there’s experienced RN’s who have a tough time getting work. It just depends.
**New nursing grads, please take a resume writing class if you can. I guarantee some of you may be able to find work or land better jobs if you improve your resume!!**
$13,000 is a steal! Here in the Greater Los Angeles area, LVN programs , at private schools, are going for anywhere from $26,000 to $32,000 easily. The only way you can go to LVN school for that kind of money here, you have to go to a program offered by an adult school (school district) or a ROP (Regional Occupational Program).
Sounds like you need to re-do your FAFSA. I got a lot of money for college (wish I hadn't taken it now, lol), but I was definitely under 24 and I was independent. Basically, your parents can't claim you on their taxes to be considered independent. What happened to me was I lived in a dorm room for 10 months out of the year, worked two part time jobs, and paid for all of my college via loans. I filed independent on my taxes...I NEVER included my mom's info on my FAFSA because I was independent. My mom tried to claim me as a dependent...because she wanted the deduction even though I barely lived at home except in the summer, and paid for all my own stuff. Plus it was my grandmothers house and my grandmother paid for everything. So anyway I got a letter in the mail from the IRS telling me to double check my tax return if I was independent/dependent. The letter said if everything was correct, do nothing. So I did nothing. My mom had to file an ammended return. Why? Because she would be audited if she didn't, and she wouldn't be able to produce any receipts, etc proving she paid for my living expenses. So many students fill out FAFSA wrong, can't get the money they need because their parents don't want to give up the deduction.
It’s funny some people are like ‘wow that’s so cheap’ and others are like ‘that’s way too expensive’. I personally wouldn’t even consider a LPN program that was above $15,000. $32,000 is ridiculous for something that doesn’t give you a degree in my opinion. I could totally pay for an ADN and have some left to go towards a BSN with $32,000.
I’m positive I filled out the FAFSA correctly, the financial aid advisor at the school actually verified that it was. It actually has nothing to do with whether your parents claimed you or not. My parents haven’t claimed me in years and I know this because I do their taxes for them. There are ways to be under 24 and be considered an independent student, but I don’t qualify for any of them. I’m not married, have no kids, I wasn’t an emancipated minor, I wasn’t in the military, I don’t have a legal guardian that’s not my biological parents, and I wasn’t a ward of the state. I talked to the advisor a few days ago and was able qualify for some money. It won’t cover the total cost, but it’s better than nothing.
Depending upon where you live, $13,000 would be at either end of the cost continuum, depending upon the type of program available. I once lived where the adult education program offered an LPN program just right at $2000, and that program had the best of reputations. In contrast, the proprietary programs were around $26,000 in cost, while the community college programs were somewhat more than the 2K price, but nowhere near $13,000. There are many factors involved in choosing a program, cost being only one of them. That is why one should thoroughly investigate all options before making a decision.
It’s very hard to be declared an independent student when you’re under 24. Whether your parents claim you or not on their taxes doesn’t matter. Both of my children had a dependent status on their FASFA when they were under 24 regardless of the fact that they were financially supporting themselves and I did not claim them. The first year my daughter went to school, she was 22, she didn’t provide any of my information and the school wouldn’t let the verification process go through until they had all my information.
@keepasking- I think someone miss informed you somewhere along the line, I may be wrong. It said you paid for all of college via loans, but no grants? You can get a loan from the government or banks because you’re going to be paying it back doesn’t matter if you’re independent or dependent. I’m going to assume you didn’t get grants because you didn’t provide your parents information on the FASFA while you were still considered a dependent. The whole goal of doing a FASFA is to get grants, money you don’t have to pay back. From your story, if you filled everything out properly and you provided your parents info, you probably would’ve gotten grants.
Wow, you're right things are much more expensive in New Jersey than they are here in Kentucky. My best friends lives up there and the only thing that's more expensive here is gas prices! Lol... Seriously too... it's $3.63 there and $3.89 here. But the CNA program I am going through now is about $550 but that doesn't include books, immunizations, uniforms, shoes, and all the equipment we have to buy. But, we have to get all that because going through the CNA course is required to get into Nursing School here.
If you think you'd be able to get a job after you graduate, then I wouldn't hesitate at all to tell you to go for it, but being that there are only a limit to LPN jobs anymore, I'm not so sure about it. I hate that about your Fin Aid. Is was like that for me too, until I had my little girl. So I think I would suggest ADN because there is def a job after graduation for that, because there's such a need for it.
lyndseyx3x
16 Posts
Thanks for the input everyone! I’ve done my research on programs. This is the cheapest, it’s a county, non profit vocational school. I know people who have went here, for other programs, it’s not a shady place. Some of you have to remember your $10,000 school back in 2005 is probably pushing $20,000 today. I looked into this vocational school two years ago and it was $7,000.
I looked into other programs in the state like Lincoln Tech, Career School, and others. Not only are these schools up in North Jersey about an hour and a half away, but they are ridiculously expensive at $20,000+ for everything. They also came off as extremely shady and desperate. After looking into these places they would call me everyday, and I mean every single day. Asking me where I worked, what I was doing with my life, why I didn’t want to attend their program and how my life would be so much better after paying $20,000 for an LPN program. I’ve decided to stay away from private schools.
Again I wasn’t questioning the salary of an LPN, I know they can make good money. Some of you are like do it because LPN’s can make $50,000 a year, I understand this, but if I’m not able to get a job that fact won’t matter. I’ll just be in major debt instead.
I’m kind of wondering if the job market is really that bad (I know it's not amazing) or some people are just unmotivated. (not to be mean!) Most of you graduated LPN programs 6+ years ago and say you are successful, do you think you’d be successful if you graduated in 2012? Were you successful because of the economy back then or are you motivated person? Those say they’ve had no success as an LPN, how motivated are you? Do you just fill out apps/resumes online and hope for a call back? Or are you out everyday handing out resumes in person and following up on them?
I’m just curious because people these days claim to have a tough time finding even minimum wage or “non degree” work, but there’s plenty out there. I've never had a problem finding any and I'm nothing special. People act like everything is below them, like it’s better to not work than to work at Wal-Mart… Some people just sit home all day, wondering why they can’t find work, when they’re not really looking or they're not willing to work somewhere other than what they imagined. Is nursing the same way, are people being too picky? Are people not finding work because they want to work in L&D or the ER and not even applying to LTC facilities?