Cheapest - yet most strongest online RN - BSN?

Nursing Students Online Learning

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I really want to get my BSN. Only problem is, I'm struggling right now just to keep my household bills paid (mortgage, elec, gas, water, phone, internet) I have most of my education loans in forbearance right now, but I had a loan through the local hospital (that I was working at but it was a horrifying experience so I quit) and haven't been able to touch that bill yet.

In either case though I'd like to get into a RN - BSN online program that will take grants and gov loans - without much out of pocket (obviously I can't afford it).

My husband and I are doing our best to get caught up, we just seem to be chasing our tails - beginning to wonder if we should just file for bankruptcy. But I think if I could get my BSN we'd be better off.

My schedule would easily allow for study time so that won't be a problem. I work two jobs, part time, and do agency work on the side and still have some extra time.

Any suggestions for an affordable school would be greatly appreciated.

I don't care at this point if I literally have to be up 24/7 (I'm an insomniac anyway). But I HAVE to do something soon, I can't keep living this way. Thanks all for listening - suggestions for anything else that might help us out would be welcome.

Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.
I wanted to do FHCHS RN to BSN program but i remember the counselor told me it will take 2-3 yrs to complete even with all my prerequisites. I wanted to do it in a shorter period.

Yeah, if I stick with it, it will have taken me 2.5 years of half-time study. But I wanted a slow pace because of work. Also part of the reason is they are a Christian school and require two courses in religion that I haven't ever taken. :)

i am just confused. you said U of wyoming online charges $100/hour isn't it by credit? do you mean, once you go online for discussion, that's how they charge their students? please clarify.... thanks.[

quote=lyv33]The University of Wyoming online RN to BSN Program is less than $100 per hour. You do have to pay a $40 per hour online fee for each course, but this still makes it the lowest cost program. www.uwyo.edu

I wanted to do FHCHS RN to BSN program but i remember the counselor told me it will take 2-3 yrs to complete even with all my prerequisites. I wanted to do it in a shorter period.

chamberlain college of nursing offers 12 courses to complete their RN-BSN prgram but it is so much expensive ($465/credit) that's why I didn't take their program. at the hospital where I work, nurses with BSN makes $4.00-5.00/hr. more than ASN/AD holders. also, in order to get a managerial position anywhere, you have to have at least a BSN degree. it's good to pursue a BS degree if you don't plan of working at the bedside all your life.this is how the hospital's Magnet status are based on. the more nurses who have pursued advance degrees, the higher chance the hospital of getting their Magnet.

i am just confused. you said U of wyoming online charges $100/hour isn't it by credit? do you mean, once you go online for discussion, that's how they charge their students? please clarify.... thanks.[url=http://www.uwyo.edu
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Some call it credits, some call it hours, some call it credit hours. They all mean the same thing.

chamberlain college of nursing offers 12 courses to complete their RN-BSN prgram but it is so much expensive ($465/credit) that's why I didn't take their program. at the hospital where I work, nurses with BSN makes $4.00-5.00/hr. more than ASN/AD holders. also, in order to get a managerial position anywhere, you have to have at least a BSN degree. it's good to pursue a BS degree if you don't plan of working at the bedside all your life.this is how the hospital's Magnet status are based on. the more nurses who have pursued advance degrees, the higher chance the hospital of getting their Magnet.

Not for the same position though, right?

I agree with what most have said, and you have already acknowledged. I have pretty much been in the same boat myself for the past several years. Due to my husband losing his job to a huge lay-off in 2000 at a local factory, and him being unable to find work due to 1000 displaced workers in my small town, he was literally unable to get a job for almost 2 years. Since you have this extra time you speak of, I personally would spend every minute I could working for the most money possible.

This is how I personally did it. If I had it to do over, I would have changed jobs immediately, instead of trying to stick it out in my comfort zone, and worked worked worked. We needed more income. My husband went back to school because he couldn't find a non-skilled job. I had two kids and a household to try to support. I had a nice Monday - Friday 8-5 desk job managing a home health agency. It paid above average for our area (around $45K per year salary--we are in a small rural area, low-paying part of the country) but I chose to go to the local rural hospital to work because of the potential I had to make extra money. Took a big cut in pay if you look at $ per hour and went to night shift for the first time in my 15 years of nursing. Nights offered more earning potential. I started at the local hospital for $16 per hour. I, however, have worked my booty off and make around $60-70K per year average, just because of the huge pay incentives my hospital gives their nurses for extra shifts and OT. Now, finally, 3 years later, I am back in school full time myself for my BSN as well as continuing to work full time. I feel like I am working myself to death and have been for the past 3 1/2 years. I am currently enrolled through an online RN to BSN program. This college is rather high in cost at $390/sem hr, but it is working well for me. My hospital gives you $0.25 more per hour for your BSN (not quite worth what it's costing). They will reimburse a small part of my tuition, and give me a $2,000 bonus when I'm done at least. I plan to go on and get my MSN and nurse practitioner as soon as I am finished. I don't expect to make a lot more (if any more) money than I do now when I am finished with my MSN/NP, but instead of working 70-80 hours per week, I hope to work normal hours and finally have some time for myself and my family, and we can just enjoy life.

You just do what you have to do to get to where you need to be. You may not be at the point where you financially are able to go back to school. Maximize your earning potential right now and get to where you need to be. That is what I suggest. If you are still struggling, you may want to consider a consumer credit counseling service to help decrease your interest rates and give you a single, more affordable monthly payment while you are working to get yourself in a better situation. Sometimes that is listed on your credit report, but does not affect you nearly as negatively as a bankruptcy will.

Good luck to you. I totally understand your situation. :icon_hug:

Specializes in OB, ortho/neuro, home care, office.

Volmom,

Thanks for your suggestions. Just to let you know - I am actually using a consumer credit counseling service. I had pulled out of a RN-BSN semester before the semester started, and they for some reason sent me a bill. I'm kicking myself now for not taking this. Most of the tuition Like almost ALL of it, but $145 was covered by grants. I'm quite disappointed. Yes I'm picking up all the hours i can, and will be doing more agency work. I figured up the budget, seems, we MIGHT be able to get caught up before Christmas. Which will be nice, especially when I have 3 months in at a job, then I can refi our mortgage :) Can't wait for that, that will help alot. Again I can't tell you how much I appreciate your words of support, means alot. I too plan to go on to get my NP once it's all said and done. So we'll in the end will be fine. Just takes time.

Just an FYI - If you use a consumer credit counseling service, it is as if you filed a Chapter 13 bankruptcy. That's how it looks on your credit report.

Specializes in ICU, PICC Nurse, Nursing Supervisor.

Now does this 2.5 years include all the pre-classes or is this just the nursing courses. I talked to them once and they told me that there stats class is incorroporated into their program and it was more of a nursing stats rather than a generic stats.. Is that true.

Yeah, if I stick with it, it will have taken me 2.5 years of half-time study. But I wanted a slow pace because of work. Also part of the reason is they are a Christian school and require two courses in religion that I haven't ever taken. :)
Specializes in Telemetry, Nursery, Post-Partum.
Just an FYI - If you use a consumer credit counseling service, it is as if you filed a Chapter 13 bankruptcy. That's how it looks on your credit report.

Not always, depends on the type of credit counseling place you use. I used one, you would never be able to tell from my credit report. They contacted each credit card company/bank individually and arranged for lower rates/payments/etc. But nothing was ever reflected on my credit report, except that some of the accounts were reported as "closed by consumer".

Also, I have attended a few semesters at Indiana State University, which has an online RN-BSN program. I think its about $270 a credit hour. Its a decent program so far, but I would love to find a program that didn't require clinical time. I'm probably asking for too much.

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