Private school vs. community college

In a previous life I would say yes, this was what I did, and it was worth it. BUT I paid back my student loans immediately... so no debt! And I am putting money into my pocket before I ever would have graduated from the CC... see I completed in the 2 years I would have been sitting on the wait list.. then I paid off all those loans.. and NOW I am earning for me... where if I would have waited I would just now be completing school... BUT now the economy has turned... jobs are harder to get.. you could be sitting on those loans for a while without a job UNLESS you are already in the healthcare field and have a job waiting!! The best place to be in a recession is in school...

Really you have to answer these questions for yourself. If you have a job, you might want to wait, if you are unemployed you might want to consider the private schools!! The private schools have something to offer, but can be a little "quirky" as well... do your research and know there is no right of wrong answer... just find what works for you and then DO IT!!! Ohhh and I am also EXTREMLY impatient... I wanted to "get on with it" and that was worth every penny school cost me!!! As a nurse the earning potential is there to pay back what ever your education costs... but again.. do all your research!!

Hope this helps!

SJ

No. It's not worth it. Not in this economy and not for an associate's degree.

Be patient. Many people are reporting little to no wait times, and heck, even if you have to wait a year then wait!

Yes, you can immediately pay back your loans when you get out.

Or you can come out of your ADN debt free (or near debt free) and start placing money in your nest egg, or child's future.

C'mon Y'all....opinions. I know you have one!

I personally think the private route is a terrible idea. A starting RN salary IMHO doesn't justify that kind of cash outlay in light of the substantially cheaper options that exist. At the end of they day, it is a tradeoff between time and money. The private school route is faster, but $40,000 translates into a significant monthly payment - probably $700.00-$900.00. That also assumes you qualify for a $40,000 loan. Can you afford that payment? Times are tough - the days of hunkering down for a year and doing lots of overtime to wipe out the debt is not going to happen. If the money is not a problem - go for it.

Times are tough - the days of hunkering down for a year and doing lots of overtime to wipe out the debt is not going to happen. If the money is not a problem - go for it.

Yep. I got called off/sent home twice this pay period, which translates to me being short 24 hours. That's about half my available PDO balance too.

Hope I don't get sick anytime soon...

If you're young and don't have many obligations, maybe the private school route would be worth the risk. But loans are drying up and you have to have brilliant credit.

If you have a family and a mortgage and maybe a job besides, I'd go the CC route. Yeah, it'll take longer, but you won't come out with an elephant strapped to your back. For many people who already have a good portion of their time spoken for, doing pre-reqs and then clinicals is more manageable anyway. Once you're working, you can look at the many bridge and completion programs out there, and you might be eligible to have your employer reimburse at least a part of your tuition.

I waited until my youngest was in school full-time before I went back. It took four years to get my ADN, but I was able to put every last cent of my expenses into back our bank account after three months of working at a .6 FTE. Had I attended a private college, I'd still be making loan payments.

I personally am attending a private college. Sure I'm going to have hefty payments for student loans (government and private) but I had already waited two years in Texas and once we moved was looking at another year and a half to two years. To me getting it done and getting in to the workforce outweighed having to pay student loans, and I believe that having a BSN is going to be paramount to finding a job in the years to come.

... and I believe that having a BSN is going to be paramount to finding a job in the years to come.

I agree. That's why I'm having my entire BSN paid for through my work. As was my ADN. So far I have zero school debt. That's a nice situation in this economy.

After that, I'll transfer to another job who will pay my MSN. I've already got them picked out.

really doubt having a BSN is going to be the way. Even though the economy sucks hospitals are still short of nurses and will continue to be. Having job experience is worth more than anything.

really doubt having a BSN is going to be the way. Even though the economy sucks hospitals are still short of nurses and will continue to be. Having job experience is worth more than anything.

Exactly. A BSN is important-for my goals. The hospitals could care less. In this economy, they want good nurses. A few years ago, they just wanted nurses with a pulse.

Some aspects of this economy are good for hosptials.

Sassie, I think the LPN route is a good idea for you. Then you could bridge right into either an ADN or BSN program!

Good luck to you!