The university I will be applying to at the end of the year for my BSN is a private Catholic university:
*Is a direct entry nursing program.
*Is transfer friendly—even with their nursing program is (I will be trying to transfer their next fall*).
*Has a 100% NCLEX pass rate for 3 years straight and 100% of their students graduate.
*Is a 13:1 student to teacher ratio.
*Gives their students over 60 clinical sites to give their students diversity.
*The program is Holistic focused.
*Is a 3 year nursing program, so a lot is spread out.
Now this all seems great but the total cost of attendance for this school is $38,000 annual with fees included. You could even registered up to 18 credit hours a semester at this school but pay nothing because it's also included with tuition. However, If I was to commute the 45 min there everyday I wouldn't have to pay for dorms so it would be about 27,000 annual.
It is the cheapest nursing private program in my state, and a nurse who attended the school last year told me that the #1 hospital in my state always prefer interns from this school.
My only concerns is the money factor. I will be doing my pre-reqs at a CC this semester and then apply at the end of the year. I'm hoping to cut the cost down with grant money, government loans, and scholarship.
I'm just wondering why the ABSN is not at the top of your list. It will take half the time of the private school and only cost $13,000 compared to $81,000 for the private school. What am I missing here? Is it a long wait list for the ABSN program?
Nothings wrong with it persay. It'll just take more time to start the program because I need all the pre-reqs done for a BSN before I could apply to the program. And I've heard that at that particularly college, they don't have the best clinical sites because the school is in the middle of nowhere ( very rural setting). I also feel as though the ABSN + that college won't open up many doors as far as being ablr to find a job in the earliest way as possible.
But the ABSN program Is my backup plan if the private university doesn't work out for me in the long run.
And if the ABSN program doesn't work out for me then I will go for my LPN and just do the LPN-BSN route. :)
It really doesn't matter who you live with or who claims you for FAFSA. There are a series of questions (are you 24, are you married, are you a veteran or on active duty in the military, are you responsible for 50% of the support of a dependent, are you in a court-ordered legal guardianship or have you been declared by the court to be an emancipated minor--and yes you will need court documents to back up any claim of that nature). There are no questions about who can claim you as a dependent on their taxes. None. lIf you can't answer yes to any of the dependency questions, you are going to have to supply your parents' financial information. You cannot just move in with your grandparents and use their information.
It really doesn't matter who you live with or who claims you for FAFSA. There are a series of questions (are you 24, are you married, are you a veteran or on active duty in the military, are you responsible for 50% of the support of a dependent, are you in a court-ordered legal guardianship or have you been declared by the court to be an emancipated minor--and yes you will need court documents to back up any claim of that nature). There are no questions about who can claim you as a dependent on their taxes. None. lIf you can't answer yes to any of the dependency questions, you are going to have to supply your parents' financial information. You cannot just move in with your grandparents and use their information.
Are you positive? I remember having to answer whether I'm a dependent or not and having to fill out info for who I live with. And my friend, who gets the free ride for her college, said she gets so much aid because her father is unemployed.
The reason I'm sure there was this question was because I made the mistake of putting independent at first.
[h=3]What if I answered No to every question?[/h]If so, then for federal student aid purposes, you're considered to be a dependent student, and you must provide information about your parents on the FAFSA.
Some private schools ask more questions on a form called the CSS Profile, but very few schools use that. Those institutions use that form in addition to the FAFSA. The institutions that use the Profile are generally considered "elite" and are very hard to get into.
[h=3]What if I answered No to every question?[/h]If so, then for federal student aid purposes, you're considered to be a dependent student, and you must provide information about your parents on the FAFSA.
Some private schools ask more questions on a form called the CSS Profile, but very few schools use that. Those institutions use that form in addition to the FAFSA. The institutions that use the Profile are generally considered "elite" and are very hard to get into.
Well I don't know. CSS doesn't sound familiar. I don't know if Pell grant and fafsa are the same thing? I just know I messed up independent and dependent. And that 2 of my friends have said their parents income mattered.
FAFSA is an application for federal aid. Pell is a grant awarded if your EFC (number generated by the FAFSA) is low enough. You can accidentally claim yourself independent by answering one of those questions "yes." Parent income does matter. The higher it is, the higher the number generated by the FAFSA and the less likely you are to get a PELL grant.
(BTW, my work study job was in the fin aid office for 4 years. I'm really not trying to sound like a know it all. I just don't want to see the OP enroll somewhere and then get an ugly surprise when somebody finds the mistake of using info for someone other than her parents. Fin Aid and the government can and do ask for their money back if they find errors, and that really bites.)
I'm really not trying to sound like a know it all. I just don't want to see the OP enroll somewhere and then get an ugly surprise when somebody finds the mistake of using info for someone other than her parents. Fin Aid and the government can and do ask for their money back if they find errors, and that really bites.)
Nope not at all how you sound! I was confused about that myself and glad you answered and corrected me.
I get a Pell grant. I think the OP should find out if she could too then.
You're comparing apples to oranges here. An MBA is NOT, absolutely NOT worth less than a nursing degree. An MBA is for business, a nursing degree is for nursing. You can't compare the two. I happen to possess a BS in accounting, an MBA, and am a semester from a BSN because I chose to make a career change. So I beg to differ on your assessment of an MBA. Do you have one?
Also, there are a gazillion nursing programs out there that are looking to take students 100k so what's your point?
Did you even read the post of the person I quoted? No you didn't. I can absolutely compare ROI for the two degrees. I encourage you to research the lacking reimbursement for those who go out at an MBA.
I do not have an MBA but I have worked in recruiting and hiring and have enough colleagues, peers and friends who hold an MBA. Just like law it comes down to where you got your MBA as opposed to nursing where no one cares where you got your ADN or BSN. The NCLEX is all that matters at the end of the day.
Is 100k for a nursing degree wise? No but your ROI per year will be at LEAST 50K for most jobs and just climbs from there. Having an MBA does not guarantee a job nor does it even guarantee a 50k salary. High paying business degrees outside of finance are a minority, at least with nursing you can expect a steady income.
An ABSN = Accelerated BSN program is usually available only to those already holding a bachelors degree or higher in another subject.
A 4 yr degree from a PA public University costs minimum 70,000 without room and board. You appear to have checked out this program thoroughly. If you can work a part-time job to pay down tuition, I'd apply now to get your application in before slots fill up.
Specializes in Occ. Hlth, Education, ICU, Med-Surg.
Since you do not already possess a Bachelor's degree you are not eligible to participate in a true Accelerated BSN program. I think you might be getting your terms mixed up.
More likely you're eligible for a tradition BSN program that goes through the Summer semesters...or some other accelerated version. A true ABSN (i.e. 12-15 mos in length) program requires a previous Bachelor's with appropriate prerequisites completed prior to admission
Since you do not already possess a Bachelor's degree you are not eligible to participate in a true accelerated BSN program. I think you might be getting your terms mixed up.
More likely you're eligible for a tradition BSN program that goes through the Summer semesters...or some other accelerated version. A true ABSN (i.e. 12-15 mos in length) program requires a previous Bachelor's with appropriate prerequisites completed prior to admission
oh if I may just add something, see my school calls it "fast track" too. It's not accelerated like I learned here for people with previous bachelor's degrees. Her school probably does the same thing, "fast track" is getting in clinical your sophomore year instead of junior.
Only you can decide if it is worth it or not worth the price. Your opening post says a lot of positive things, that if true (always validate and re-validate) are valuable.
I go to a local community college that runs $3,000 for semester (2 semesters per year = $6,000 per year not including books, gas, etc.). They've had a good NCLEX pass rate for several years; this past May's graduating class NCLEX pass rate was 96%. Now that's not the 100% in your opening post, but then again, there's a > $20,000 per year savings. They have dual enrollment with several local universities; one of whom will run ~ $10,000 for a BSN. So between the ADN cost and the BSN cost, it is still less than one year at the school you posted about. Theory classes typically peak at 32 students, and clinical groups run a 8 (most common) to 16 (max) students to one clinical instructor.
KAThftf
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Nothings wrong with it persay. It'll just take more time to start the program because I need all the pre-reqs done for a BSN before I could apply to the program. And I've heard that at that particularly college, they don't have the best clinical sites because the school is in the middle of nowhere ( very rural setting). I also feel as though the ABSN + that college won't open up many doors as far as being ablr to find a job in the earliest way as possible.
But the ABSN program Is my backup plan if the private university doesn't work out for me in the long run.
And if the ABSN program doesn't work out for me then I will go for my LPN and just do the LPN-BSN route. :)