$25,000 for LPN program! Help!

Bala Shark · Sep 11, 2006

That is the avearge cost for a private LPN college...

Hoping LVN2BSN · Sep 11, 2006

That's usually the trade off for the huge waiting list, $25,000. My husband is in the Navy and time isn't on our side either. Sometimes you have to do what you have to do. I try to justify it by convincing myself that if I wait on a 2 year waiting list, I would have lost $72,000 waiting as opposed to working. Because if I waited, I would be home with the baby. I guess you have to figure your household and what you all can stand. We have a 16 month old baby and for us it just felt like now or never. I don't want to wait 5 or 6 years when she starts school, so we just had to bite the bullet, hunker down this year and get it done.

How are the RN programs around there, the waiting lists are probably just as bad as LPN. But if not, maybe you could go the ADN route at a CC instead and finish before you and your husband leave. Good luck in what you decide and to you and your husband in your future!!

DelanaRN, MSN, APRN, NP · Sep 11, 2006

Thanks Bala.

Hoping, We have a 16 month old as well. That is another reason to question if this is the right thing for me. Right now, we can budget for me to stay at home with him and be home when our 8 year old gets off the bus from school. However, if I go to this school next month, we will be paying 183 a week in childcare for the little one, and 75 for before/after school care for my 3rd grader...and during the summer he is $115 a week (in addition to the 183 for the baby). I will have to have loans for child care as well, because we can't afford that while I am going to school. Then, on top of that, because of student loans I will HAVE to work after I get out of school because then we won't be able to afford for me to stay at home anymore (because of the loans) so I will lose the option to be a stay at home mom altogether. $25 grand is ALOT of money to owe for a job that will only pay me 14 bucks an hour to start.

Then, I remind myself that LPN is a stepping stone for me to my RN (eventually) and it will be valuable experience as well.

What are you going to do?

Hoping LVN2BSN · Sep 11, 2006

Good morning Connors, I only have one child, but we were in a similar place when I started. We couldn't afford to put the baby in childcare. I hadn't been working in over 8 months so we we continue to have one income but now supporting a monthly tuition. I did a lot of research into the childcare programs in my area. YMCA, through the military. If where you are is anything like San Diego as far as childcare, it's going to be a challenge. Here there is a 2 year waiting list for almost every program for children under 5. Thankfully I my husbands family is in the area who could take care of her for a month until my dad moved from across the state to take care of her until I graduate. I have been really fortunate.

I know our husbands schedules can be so unpredictable, and that sucks, but if he's a day worker, maybe you could go to school easier at night. It takes longer, but if it makes it easier. www.milspouse.org has a lot of information, and try the Fleet and Family Service Center in your area. Did you work alot this prior year, I only have to pay off $5,000 of my tuition, and I have 5 years to do it. I had to talk to the Financial Aid director because I think the advisors don't always tell you everything. A lot of times, if you explain the situation, they will try to help you out. I don't know if your husband has a GI bill he could let you use. In the Navy it can be transferred to dependents, but not spouses, maybe it's different in the Army. That will help a lot. If I think of anything else, I will post it here, I had a lot of websites about grants and childcare, if I find them, I'll send them to you. Try www.grants.gov and www.students.gov. I don't think that last one is right. Will post more later. Got to run to clinicals!!!

RN1263 · Sep 11, 2006

i would never pay 25 grand for lpn....ever!

i'm in an rn program and i'll be WAY under that dollar amount when i'm done. sorry, but i just don't think it's worth it!...especially, if you ever wanted to go back and get your r.n.?

you could work on pre-reqs part-time (since you have kids) that all r.n. programs require (eng., algebra, psych, socy, a&p, micro, ect.) transfer them on your next move & get into a r.n. program there?...it took me 1 1/2 yrs. to finish my pre-reqs part-time.

flwannaB · Sep 11, 2006

I second that. 25K is way too much. Working on your prereqs now may be your best bet. It may not take as long as they say to get into an RN program.

i would never pay 25 grand for lpn....ever!
i'm in an rn program and i'll be WAY under that dollar amount when i'm done. sorry, but i just don't think it's worth it!...especially, if you ever wanted to go back and get your r.n.?
you could work on pre-reqs part-time (since you have kids) that all r.n. programs require (eng., algebra, psych, socy, a&p, micro, ect.) transfer them on your next move & get into a r.n. program there?...it took me 1 1/2 yrs. to finish my pre-reqs part-time.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Sep 11, 2006

In late 2004 I paid $20,000 to attend a private 1-year LVN program in the Los Angeles area. It has been worth it because I did not have to deal with waiting lists and ended up earning $20,000 within the first five months of being an LVN. However, I live in the Dallas-Fort Worth area where the LVN wages tend to be decent. Missouri, from what I've heard, does not have a good track record on paying LPNs well. I wouldn't pay $25,000 for school if I am only going to earn $11 to $15 per hour as the net result.

LVNs in DFW, Texas are paid from $18 to $23 hourly if they're willing to work in nursing homes, rehab, or home health.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Sep 11, 2006

i would never pay 25 grand for lpn....ever!
i'm in an rn program and i'll be WAY under that dollar amount when i'm done. sorry, but i just don't think it's worth it!...especially, if you ever wanted to go back and get your r.n.?
you could work on pre-reqs part-time (since you have kids) that all r.n. programs require (eng., algebra, psych, socy, a&p, micro, ect.) transfer them on your next move & get into a r.n. program there?...it took me 1 1/2 yrs. to finish my pre-reqs part-time.

I work full-time weekends as an LVN while completing my RN prerequisite classes full-time at a local college. I work only Saturday and Sunday while being paid for a 40-hour week; in addition, I have Monday through Friday off to attend school. It is working out well for me since I earn decent money while attending school full-time.

My classmates who are taking prerequisites for the RN program the generic way without the LVN license, however, all tend to have crappy jobs with low wages as fast-food workers or store clerks. Additionally, they all live with their parents because they do not have the financial freedom to make it on their own. On the other hand, I live in a new house in the suburbs that is paid-off without a mortgage and have a job that affords me the opportunity to work 2 days per week with full pay. My lifestyle is quite good.

To each his own, and to each her own.

godsend213 · Sep 12, 2006

OMG where are you guys going to school?? Your gonna shell out 25 grand for like $12-$16/hr?? Thats almost 10 thousand dollars more than Im paying for the RN program...I would never pay that for an LPN program....

godsend213 · Sep 12, 2006

I guess I just got lucky...I live in pittsburgh PA and theres a few schools paying for tuition if you work in one of thier hospitals for 2 yrs (Which is like every hospital here). Good luck

Princess74 · Sep 12, 2006

Private schools cost a lot. I would never pay that much. Have you checked into hospital based programs? My LPN program is only costing me a total of around $7000.00 and that's including me buying my books and paying NCLEX fees when I graduate.