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BCgradnurse, thanks for sharing your experience. The eligibility requirements for this year state direct-entry students are ineligible to apply. See #3 below... "Applicants are ineligible if they are: (1) Enrolled in a physician assistant (P.A.) program and are specializing in areas other than primary health care. For example, P.A. programs with a surgical or emergency room focus; (2) In the pre-professional phase of their health professions education. For example, taking undergraduate pre-requisites for admission to a P.A. training program; (3) Enrolled in a nursing Bridge Program. For example, RN-MSN, BSN-MSN, Direct Entry, Graduate Pre-specialty or Entry to Practice programs; OR (4) Pursuing a doctoral degree in nursing." This is a shame, isn't it? The Nursing Scholarship Program states pretty much the same but the term "direct entry" is not included, suggesting that DE students can apply. However, one person in my program contacted the reps who said recipients would have to fulfill their service requirements immediately after receiving RN licensure, meaning a person would need to take a long break from their program... I also wish I took a nice vacation last year to make my EGC

No, I never received an answer, but I did some research... Direct-entry (DE) programs, from what I understand, aren't eligible for NHSC. It is unclear if DE programs qualify for the Nursing Scholarship Program... Reps from the program are terrible at answering this question. I decided not to apply to this scholarship because my EFC is a little over $5,500 which gives me pretty much zero chance at getting a scholarship. In the history of the program they have never awarded a scholarship to anyone whose EFC is over $5,500. I will be applying for loan forgiveness programs when I graduate. Good luck!

I was wondering why this thread was so quiet... The potentially 34% increase in tuition is nuts! I wouldn't be surprised if there is sudden movement in the waitlist.

Did anyone just have a heart attack reading the increase in MEPN tuition next year? I feel weak...

I think LookingAhead and myelin gave excellent advice. Keep in mind that there are many who don't get in until their second year of applying so don't get discouraged if things don't work out this year. I would also advise getting more direct patient experience related to your specialty. Letters of recommendation should come from people you feel believe in the quality of work you do and can attest to your professionalism and character. I'd advise getting recommendations from a nurse who observed your paid/volunteer work, professors, and bosses. At least some should be related to your specialty. I submitted 4 recommendations but I think you can submit up to 5. Also, the ABSN route is not a bad idea if you don't get into a direct-entry program. There are pros & cons to both routes but both will get you to your goal eventually. Good luck with everything. I certainly did not think I was going to get accepted and was expecting to do my state's ABSN program. My acceptance into UCSF threw me for a loop!

I should have clarified that I meant the outpatient clinics affiliated with hospitals... I do realize that PC PNPs work in outpatient settings for the most part, which is what I prefer to do. That's very true that there are much worse job markets! I guess its too early for me to worry about job outlook. I'll concentrate on my studies instead!

thuyd527, I'm glad that you pointed the eligibility issue out about the NHSC scholarship. I actually emailed one of the reps last week and asked if the UCSF MEPN program qualified and he said yes. I have a feelings the reps don't necessarily know what they are talking about because another one avoided answering whether or not there were sites where PNPs could fulfill service requirements. What about the HRSA's Nursing Scholarship Program? What do you think this means under eligibility requirements #2: "Please note: Students enrolled in LPN programs, self-paced study programs (on-line), bridge programs, and dual degree programs are not eligible for a scholarship award." Note that this one does not say "direct entry." However I think this one prioritizes loans to undergraduate nursing students before graduate students... Anyone concerned that tuition will spike this year? I think last year's MEPNs said tuition shot up $9K right before school started.

Have any of you looked HRSA's National Health Sevice Corps scholarship? It only applies to those of us who are entering primary care (FNP, PNP, CNM, etc). I'm not sure I'm going to apply yet since I'm not convinced they have too many PNP service sites and don't want to be bound do a contract without the ability to fulfill it... I guess there's always the HRSA loan-repayment programs when we graduate... HRSA website

I'm hoping to move out around 6/1. I'm also out-of-state. I will probably be hunting for housing in SF the 1st week of May. I have mixed feelings about campus housing but I'm actually considering Mission Bay for the MEPN year since I'm out-of-state and it would just simplify things until I get my bearings. I'm not sure what UCSF students' experiences have been with it--anyone know??? I called about a studio, and there is a waitlist with a move in date of 7/1 (that's sadly after classes start), but it sounds like they have 4bd apts available earlier. There is parking at Mission Bay for around $65/mo. So for under $1000 you can get get a room in a 4bd, parking, electricity, internet, and free and easy access to the Bakar rec center at Mission Bay. Plus, shuttles to UCSF hospitals including Parnassus run all the time so transportation to class would be super easy. Looking at the application you can choose your roommates, not that I know anyone yet... At any rate, I'm still going to check out craigslist when I'm in SF in May. PM me if you'd like to discuss housing or just meet up for coffee in SF! Also, I don't have Facebook--kinda lame, huh?

No one knows what the job market is for PNPs...? What websites do fresh grad primary care NPs use to search for jobs? From a cursory search on hospital websites, they are looking for acute care PNPs, and I will be specializing in primary care.

I'm thinking about applying to both the HRSA NHSC Scholarship and Nursing Scholarship Program. I already have an interest in working with medically underserved populations, so this program would be great for me. However, I'm worried that if I get a scholarship I will have trouble finding a job to fulfill my service requirements (Of course, I'm operating under the generous assumption that I will even receive one of these elusive scholarships when I apply!) My concerns are: 1) I will be a PNP DE graduate with little nursing experience in--will critical need facilities hire me? Does HRSA find a job for me if I can't find one? 2) The HRSA job search engine does not list any current openings for PNPs...this program looks more promising for physicians or FNPs. Obviously, many hospitals are HRSA approved service fulfillment sites, which might be more applicable to the Loan Repayment program, but I'm specifically asking about primary care, which more often occurs in clinics and outpatient settings. Are there are any former HRSA scholars who are NPs out there to answer this?? Would I be better off applying to the Loan Repayment program when I graduate and find work?

Wow, laurabs24, your friend is lucky. I was thinking starting salary would be around $60,000-$70,000. Does anyone have an idea how difficult it is to find a PNP primary job in this economy? What about for direct-entry PNPs?

I was was also accepted into this year's ABSN program at UW! I'm still debating between UW and the UCSF... I called UW Admissions yesterday to ask about the post-bacc application. They said we won't hear until May to June, so don't get worried if you haven't heard back.

You could also look at master's entry/direct-entry (DE) programs. They are designed for people with bachelor's degrees in non-nursing fields and last around 3 years or so. The first year they train you in basic nursing skills and then the following years are master's classes in your specialty. They are competitive. Some RNs are very opinionated about these degrees since many end up as NPs with no RN experience, and there are a number of threads related to this. I am by no means trying to stir up opinions from other people; rather, I'm just informing you of what is out there.

My dream job is to become a PNP in primary care. I'm about to enter a direct-entry program so I'm not well-versed in the NP job market. Does anyone know what the current job market is for PNPs? What is a typical starting salary? While many hospitals provide tuition reinbursement, is this offered in primary care settings as well? I'm particularly interested in the west coast and pacific NW, but any feedback from elsewhere in the country might be helpful. I'm pretty set on pursing this field and just want to know what I'm in for once I graduate.