Is Samuel Merritt's ABSN Worth It?

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Hi all,

I was recently accepted to Samuel Merritt University's Fall 2019 cohort in Sacramento, and I'm really stressing out about the cost of the program. $80k in tuition alone seems absolutely preposterous for a BSN. I would save on room and board by living at home but would still have to pull out about $90K in student loans, 2/3 of which would be private loans.... Is this program really worth it? I have also been accepted to CSU San Marcos (which I declined because I didn't want to do a 2 year program that would end up costing more than SMU's program with room and board factored in) and Drexel University's 11-month ACE program, and I intend to apply to Thomas Jefferson University's 1-Year FACT program as well. Drexel's total tuition and fees amount to $56K for the 11-month program, and Thomas Jefferson's 1-Year FACT amounts to about $49K in tuition and fees. Additionally, cost of living in Philly is also much cheaper than CA from what I've seen if you're okay with living a 15-20 minutes outside of Center City.

I know that SMU has good rapport with regional hospitals, but does that really help much at all for employment or anything? I've heard that experience matters much more to employers than where you complete your BSN, and I wonder if going out of state for a less expensive program a program that is just as quick is a feasible option that won't affect my future employment opportunities. My end goal is still to get my California RN license and work/live in Northern California as a registered nurse (which I know is difficult as it is because living and working here is very sought-after!). I also might want to become an APRN or NP at some point after working for a few years.... Anyway, advice from anyone who has experience or has gone through these programs is welcome! Thank you in advance!

Cheers,

Iris

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I know this was posted months ago. I almost did the program a little while back, but backed out because of the cost/loans. But now I'm having to retake classes due to recency so I can apply to cheaper schools. I would have needed loans for EVERYTHING including housing/living expenses, so I decided it was a bad financial decision. I know some people who have completed the SM ABSN, and one that starts this month. Not sure exactly how they are paying for it though, I know some have savings and/or help so don't need as large of loans. They do give some scholarships I've heard. I've heard a lot of people advocate for the program, saying it is very good, well known by hospitals, and that people have no problem paying off loans. But then others say it's ridiculous to pay that much for another Bachelor's degree.

Curious what you ended up doing?

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On 11/7/2019 at 9:39 AM, Duke702 said:

I know this was posted months ago. I almost did the program a little while back, but backed out because of the cost/loans. But now I'm having to retake classes due to recency so I can apply to cheaper schools. I would have needed loans for EVERYTHING including housing/living expenses, so I decided it was a bad financial decision. I know some people who have completed the SM ABSN, and one that starts this month. Not sure exactly how they are paying for it though, I know some have savings and/or help so don't need as large of loans. They do give some Scholarships I've heard. I've heard a lot of people advocate for the program, saying it is very good, well known by hospitals, and that people have no problem paying off loans. But then others say it's ridiculous to pay that much for another Bachelor's degree.

Curious what you ended up doing?

Hey Duke 702!

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On 11/7/2019 at 9:39 AM, Duke702 said:

I know this was posted months ago. I almost did the program a little while back, but backed out because of the cost/loans. But now I'm having to retake classes due to recency so I can apply to cheaper schools. I would have needed loans for EVERYTHING including housing/living expenses, so I decided it was a bad financial decision. I know some people who have completed the SM ABSN, and one that starts this month. Not sure exactly how they are paying for it though, I know some have savings and/or help so don't need as large of loans. They do give some Scholarships I've heard. I've heard a lot of people advocate for the program, saying it is very good, well known by hospitals, and that people have no problem paying off loans. But then others say it's ridiculous to pay that much for another Bachelor's degree.

Curious what you ended up doing?

Whoops, I accidentally hit "enter" before I finished typing my message.... Not a very tech-savvy millennial am I???? ??‍♀️

Hey Duke 702!

Good to know I wasn't the only one deterred by the cost/loans of the program. I ended up deferring my admission (even though I had already made my $300 deposit to secure my spot, but what can you do...), and opted to attend Drexel University's accelerated 11-month program in Philadelphia instead, which I'll be started March 30th. I opted for this program (even though it's out of state/in an urban setting/ridiculously accelerated) because:

1. Overall, it will still cost me less to attend Drexel and live out of state than to attend Samuel Merritt's program and live at home. I have been able to work for longer before starting the program and save money at my current job, so now I can take out way less loans than I would've needed to otherwise. Plus the cost of living is less in Philadelphia, and tuition is less at this program anyway. The School does not give scholarships to students enrolled in this program, but I still plan on applying to some scholarships in case. Also, if you do well enough in the program, I believe you can get priority admission for a master's degree at their university.... Thomas Jefferson University is the same way. I don't think Samuel Merritt has the same offer? Hopefully that doesn't make Drexel's program a cut-throat environment, but who knows...

2. I've lived in my greater Sac area/NorCal bubble my whole life, and while I like it and am familiar with the systemic/health issues that exist here, I think it would be good for me to go somewhere I don't know too many people & the patient demographics/health issues are different. Of course everyone has bodies that work similarly, but some diseases are more prominent in some demographics, plus there's always the non-biological/socioeconomic/environmental/cultural factors that contribute to health and health outcomes, and I'd like to be in a setting that exposes me to those differences so I can learn to serve every patient I see adequately (or at the very least try to!). I'm really curious to see what attending a nursing school in a swing state with no law in place to establish safe patient-to-nurse ratios is like (CA is the only state in the US that has these safe ratios established, all thanks to the tireless efforts from the National Nurses Union and California Nurses Association). Public health/policy is something I may want to pursue post-nursing too, so we'll see if being on the East Coast gives me a new perspective or inspires me a little more to enact this idea....

3. My partner is currently in his 3rd year at Boston University School of Medicine, and he'll find out where he gets placed for residency around the same time I'll be finishing at Drexel. If Samuel Merritt had allowed me to defer my admission and start in spring of this year, I probably would've done Samuel Merritt's program instead. But I'm happy with my choice because this also means I'll be closer to my partner geographically hahaha. If the relationship survives this intense nursing program, our goal is to (finally) move in together wherever he ends up for residency. We've been together for over 5 years so it's the next step heh

4. People on the West Coast are too lax for me sometimes man... I hate to stereotype, but the times I've been on the East Coast I've felt way more at ease. Everyone walks faster and is keeping busy/has something to do. Everything appears to work like a well-oiled machine. I'm a big fan of efficiency and keeping busy-- get kind of depressed/down if I don't have too much to do... I'm ready to get eaten alive by the city and fall off the face of the earth for a year while drowning in school work.

I'm sorry you have to retake classes now! Although maybe it's worth it to have waited to apply to a different, cheaper program? My partner tried to convince me to just do Samuel Merritt's program, even if it meant I'd have to take out loans, because I could start working as an RN sooner, likely in NorCal... I understand his reasoning, but as someone who still owes $19K in loans from undergrad (went to UCD) and might marry someone who's about to have $250K in medical school loans.... I'd rather not take on more loans than I need to lol.

Have you looked into Sac State's 2nd bachelor's program? It's super SUPER affordable and one of the best ones in the state. As a result, it's very competitive to get in... I would've applied, but the timing didn't make sense for me. You should totally consider applying though, or at the very least look into it!

Also, for what it's worth, my partner's cousin went to Samuel Merritt's ABSN program and lived at home and she's still paying off her loans.... She has two kids now and is married and has a house and stuff, but she said that for her, it was worth it/made sense. And she liked the program (said it was disorganized at times but literally everyone I've talked to who's attended an accelerated program has said the same thing lol), and she's loved the jobs she's had.... Anyway, I think you should do what makes the most sense for you. Some people are okay with debt. I feel generational stress to not be in debt since I'm a 2nd gen Mexican American...

Sorry for the long post heh... Good luck with your classes/ future applications, and let me know if you want any advice or to see the google spreadsheet I made for different nursing programs!

Cheers,

Iris

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Hey Iris!

First off, thank you for providing so much info in the previous post! I feel like it definitely gave me a lot of good insight. I'm kind of finding myself in the same exact situation that you were in last year and wanted to reach out and see how you liked Drexel's program overall!

I'm also from Norcal and would ideally like to work in California after I receive my license, but don't know how I would feel about moving out of California for school. I've been heavily debating Samuel Merritt, but like you really cant justify that high price tag even if I'm able to have housing covered by living with my family. Drexel's ACE program really appeals to me because of how fast it is and how the price compares to SM. I've always wanted to live outside of California, but am scared Philadelphia might be too far LOL. Also, I've heard very mixed reviews about Drexel, so I wanted to see what your experience in the program was like? And I would love to hear how has your nursing journey been thus far!! I appreciate any advice or insight you can provide. Thank you!! 

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