Problem pls help

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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Hello, so my problem is choosing between two schools......i can go to a for-profit college right now and be a LVN in one year it will cost 34,000. But with finacial aide it will be about 13,000. According to them.

Or I can go on a waiting list at a community college. With a 6 year waitlist. Ill be 34 when I graduate

Which would you choose?

Details- I'm 27 divorced mom of two toddlers currently living with my parents. I've been a CNA for 8 years. I'm fed up with being one too......I dont have to pay rent if that helps. Also I currently live in cailfornia but desperately want to go back home to upstate ny. Will I be able to transfer a LVN licence to another state from a for profit college? Thanks

I couldn't wait 6 years.

I would do the math and figure out how much money you will be making if you wait 6 years and work as a CNA while you are on the wait list, and compare that will going to school for 1 year and not being able to work and paying 13,000 but then working 5 years as a LVN.

For example in my area LVNs make an average of $19.74 an hour

so 5 years working at 40 hours a week

19.74 x 40 x 52 x 5 = 205,296 over 5 years, subtract the 13,000 that school cost = 192,296

divide that final number by five and you would average $38,459 a year.

CNAs in my area make an average of $11.35 an hour.

11.35 x 40 x 52 x 6 = 141,648

an average of $23,608 per year.

Just going by numbers the obvious choice is to go LVN. The gap between each option will grow and time goes on which puts LVN even higher in your favor. I think you would enjoy it more as well since you have been a CNA 8 years, you sound ready to move on.

To answer your question about moving to NY, "LPN's transferring from another state can be become licensed in New York by endorsement. All that is required is to provide verification of licensure from previous state of license." LPN Programs in New York, License Requirements | PracticalNursing.org

I say go for it!

Wow, thank you for your reply! When you put it like that it makes sense. I'm leaning towards the private school

Great, I'm glad I could help!

Please make sure the for profit school with financial aid is only $13,000. Do not pay more than that.

You can apply to more than one community college in California. Please do so. I know a lot of people that got the 100 years waiting list spiel, but then got in within a year. Also apply to the 2 year programs.

Good luck.

Specializes in 15 years in ICU, 22 years in PACU.

A lot of people apply to multiple schools. When they get into one of them the wait list is automatically shortened on all the others.

Expand your search for Community Colleges. Cost difference is astronomical.

If you take out private loans for school you MUST pay them back. They are not forgiven by begging, pleading, hard luck stories or bankruptcy. Student loan debt is forever. It can even affect your co-signer after you are dead!

Specializes in SRNA.

You can go to BSN program for 34K.

My ABSN program is 12 months in length and the tuition is 37K so far...

Also...a 6 year wait? That's too long.

Specializes in MSICU.

I would do one application cycle applying to ALL community colleges that I could feasibly attend. If, after that semester starts (because sometimes waitlisters get in as people who do get in during the first round might choose something else), I still am not admitted to a public school program then for the next cycle I would again apply to the community colleges and to a for-profit school. When the semester starts I would go ahead and go with the for-profit school if I still am not admitted to a public school program.

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