Should I use my tuition reimbursement from work to get my RN?

Nurses General Nursing

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So I'm having a financial dilemma and can't decide what school to go to for my RN. I got accepted into an RN school at a community college and they're giving me an 80% discount to be an LPN to RN student. The bad thing about this school is that it's terribly hard for a community college. Option 2 is to go back to the private school I graduated from and do my RN there. It's easier school than the other school but it's expensive and my tuition would be $6200 without this reimbursement. With the rembursement, my tuition will be reduced from $660 per credit to $448 per credit as long as I maintain to work 22.5 hours a week and that shouldn't be a problem since I get 12 hour shifts as a PCA at my hospital. What's bad about using your employers reimbursement? I know that you owe them money if you we're to leave the facility. Is there any other bad things about using reimbursement ? This is a tough decision since I have 4 semesters at the community college and only 3 at the private school. What do you think is better for me?

You work as a PCA but you are a LPN? Please clarify or did I missunderstand?

I just graduated LPN school. I'm about to take my boards soon.

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Specializes in CVICU.

Go to the community college. The lack of debt will be an enormous relief when you graduate, and it sounds like it will prepare you better anyway.

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Specializes in kids.

You also need to ensure that whichever school you attend is fully accredited.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
You also need to ensure that whichever scho l you attend is fully accredited.

To add: ACEN or CCNE accredited. :yes:

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Specializes in ICU.

I don't necessarily believe one school being "easier" amounts to it being a worse school. The community colleges around here flunk out up to 30% of the class before they take the NCLEX. Out of 70 something, my BSN program lost two, and most of us made As and Bs instead of Cs. My BSN program actually had a higher NCLEX pass rate than the local community colleges.

Sometimes, a school being harder just means they have inferior teachers who don't do a good job teaching things, and that's why students are flunking out. IMO, there's something wrong with a program with a huge waiting list, that only takes the best and brightest applicants, that people actually fail out of. If they picked the best students, almost everybody should be succeeding.

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Specializes in kids.
To add: ACEN or CCNE accredited. :yes:

Thx! Forgot to add that.

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You clearly want to go to the "easier" school, and you keep coming up with reasons why the other school is not the best option. It sounds like you have already made up your mind, so why ask the question?

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Specializes in Emergency, Case Management, Informatics.
You clearly want to go to the "easier" school, and you keep coming up with reasons why the other school is not the best option. It sounds like you have already made up your mind, so why ask the question?

Exactly what I was just about to post. OP seems to just be looking for someone to agree with them, to make them feel better about the decision. All of the reasons to go to the "easier" school are pretty weak.

Do whatever you want, OP. You're going to anyway.

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Specializes in Pediatric Critical Care.

Maybe OP just needs a sounding board to bounce their thoughts off of. Sometimes it seems like people around here get a little too offended if the OP doesn't instantly agree with them. Its okay for people to come ask for opinions and not abandon their own thoughts and feelings because of them.

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Specializes in HH, Peds, Rehab, Clinical.

I'm stuck on this, sorry.

So I'm having a financial dilemma and can't decide what school to go to for my RN. I got accepted into an RN school at a community college and they're giving me an 80% discount to be an LPN to RN student. The bad thing about this school is that it's terribly hard for a community college. Option 2 is to go back to the private school I graduated from and do my RN there. It's easier school than the other school but it's expensive and my tuition would be $6200 without this reimbursement. With the rembursement, my tuition will be reduced from $660 per credit to $448 per credit as long as I maintain to work 22.5 hours a week and that shouldn't be a problem since I get 12 hour shifts as a PCA at my hospital. What's bad about using your employers reimbursement? I know that you owe them money if you we're to leave the facility. Is there any other bad things about using reimbursement ? This is a tough decision since I have 4 semesters at the community college and only 3 at the private school. What do you think is better for me?
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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
We'll, I also forgot to mention the commute time. 10 minutes to the private school but 45 minutes if I want to go the community college way. 45 minutes 4 or 5 times a week plus work and lab skills, it just all adds up you know?

Also to keep in mind that you may have to travel

Just as long for clinicals; not everything will be 10 mins away, so that really should be a non-factor.

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Dialysis.

While the money from your employer for tuition reimbursement sounds nice there may be some drawbacks. How long do you have to commit to working there? What happens if you leave before that time is up? Would you be expected to pay back all or only a portion of the tuition your employer covered, and how long would you have to pay it back? I would also be concerned about the requirement for maintaining that many scheduled hours. It may not sound like a lot, but with school demands it may still be too much. Not to mention at the least they would have to schedule you on days without school as there is pretty much no way to squeeze in a 12 hour shift on a school day, so realistically if they are willing to work around your school schedule you could be looking at being committed to working every weekend to maintain your required hours.

Despite my seemingly negative attitude toward this I am not trying to dissuade you from accepting the tuition reimbursement if that is what you decide to do, just go into it with all your questions answered beforehand so you don't get stuck in an untenable situation down the road.

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