SLU accelerated BSN tuition

[asillig10]

I am beginning SLU's accelerated BSN program this month and am facing the reality that I may no longer be able to cover the costs of this program. I am receiving limited federal aid, and I am forced to look into other financial options. I know that many of the St. Louis area hospitals provided agreements with students to give them x amount of money in exchange for working for them for x amount of years. SLU Hospital had a great setup last year where they would give you $5,000 for each semester in exchange for 3 years of work. Then they would continue to help with outstanding loan balances each month while you continued your employment. This and more was what I was counting on last year when I applied and began working toward starting the program. Can anyone offer me any resources on what the current benefits are for tuition assistance from hospitals in Missouri/Illinois? I have heard so many different things from so many different people. Some say that those benefits have been shut off entirely due to the economy, while some say that nursing students are still eligible. Then some say that only current employees working toward becoming a nurse are eligible. I've called several hospitals directly, but often, no one calls me back. This is very stressful, and aside from sitting down again and calling every single hospital system in the state, I don't know who to talk to. Financial aid staff at the school have little to offer on this subject, and I am beginning to think that I am simply going to have suck it up, scrape together a million loans, and graduate $50,000 in debt, in addition to my other loans from my previous degree. Any information anyone can offer would be tremendous.

[WonderRN]

I wish I could give you good news.... but I don't know of any hospitals in St. Louis offering loan help right now. SLUH was the only hospital I knew of offering this option as of last year when I began SLU's accelerated option.

I funded this entire last year with loans. I wasn't worried until all this hiring freeze business. The good news is by the time you graduate, this whole scare will probably be over and hospitals will reinstate their loan forgiveness benefit. Hospitals will realize that without proper staffing, their failure to rescue rates, hospital-acquired infections, and medical errors are only going to increase and they'll hemorrhage money through lawsuits and fines!

SLU does have their own scholarship they give to accelerated option students if you qualify for it (academic merit + financial need). They gave a lot of us around $6K, so that's $6K you can return to your lender. Don't count on it, though, I don't know if they still plan on being that generous in light of the economy and, I hear your class will be the largest yet. But SLU doesn't seem to be hurting any.

Keep in mind there are many college grads graduating with $70K in student loans. It's kind of a state of existence for many of us. Interest rates are relatively low comparatively speaking....

Best of luck to you!

[asillig10]

Thanks for the heads up. This is so stressful! I just wish things would get figured out already! Do you know much about the Nursing Education Loan Repayment Program through the HRSA? I wonder if that would be an option for me...I remember reading that they will repay 60% and up to 85% of your outstanding student loans if you agree to work in an underserved area for x amount of years. That's about all I know though. The website doesn't give too much info about details.

[WonderRN]

I don't know about the loan repayment through HRSA..... It was never really an option for me because I am pretty well rooted in Saint Louis with a husband and kids. I did look at it before in the past, and it seemed pretty good!

For books, I have everything still, I will probably hold on to my Critical Care book. They should give you a list telling you which ones are new editions for this year. The Fundamentals book you need for Intro to Clinical Decision Making (summer course) you probably want to buy brand new, because it comes with a CD and electronic code that you'll need to access My nursing lab online in preparation for labs. All the other books you would be perfectly safe purchasing an older version if they are requiring a new version this year, with the idea of saving the $$ difference. (A lot of people did that this year with Pharmacology and Pathophysiology).

[surviveslu]

Hi there Wondertech and Asillig10,

Does anyone know how to send a private message? I tried to send a private message but the system tells me I dont have access to this capability. Wondertech, how can I email you directly?

Asillig10: Just like you, I am having to find loans to cover the cost of the summer session. Then I'll worry about the Fall and Spring sessions later. Looks like we have to purchase a long list of books for the summer but so far we are scheduled to take pharm and patho. I wonder how intense they are and what is expected of us.

[asillig10]

Oh I know! It is so frustrating. I wish school financial aid wasn't so difficult to get sorted out. They really should try to make this kind of stuff easier on us.

I cannot send private messages either, I am not sure why. When you find out, please let me know.

So you are beginning the program with me? Yay! I don't know anyone else in the program yet, so I am happy to talk to you!

[asillig10]

Wondertech:

I would like to talk to you about books, but I cannot send private messages either...

[surviveslu]

Asillig10,

I dont know anyone in the program either. Let's talk somehow. Sign into blackboard. I'll be there.

[tnbutterfly - Mary, BSN]

staff reminder.....

you can send/receive pm's after you have 15 posts.

please do not use the public board for solicitation as it is against the terms of service of this site. premium and platinum members may solicit to buy/sell items in the classifieds forum only.

[asillig10]

Haha ok, I'm there, but I don't know who you are! There are several other students online also....help! We should arrange a time to meet on there tonight after nine or tomorrow sometime! How can we identify ourselves?

[STL-RN Student]

St. John's offer $3000 in tuition reimbursement each year & a scholarship of $10000 that requires a 2 1/2 year work committment....

[asillig10]

Oh hey, thanks for your reply. I checked out their website and it looks like they only offer the tuition reimbursement if you have been an employee of St. John's for 90 days or more. But the loan repayment assistance is very helpful, as long as they will still offer it in the future. I called their human resources and left a message for someone to call me back. Thanks for the help!