Students asking for free money

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Feb 1, 2015

I am another person who finds crowd-funding a tad bit distasteful.

Crowd-funding does have an appropriate time and place, such as the sudden occurrences that blindside people (house fires, sudden illness, etc). However, I worked full-time while attending nursing school and I don't intend to hand my hard-earned money to someone who is essentially saying "Give me what you got."

JWG223 · Feb 1, 2015

Upon browsing different nursing groups including this one, I have noticed a new trend...current or nursing students to be asking for money via gofundme. Why don't they apply for scholarships or for student loans the way most, if not all of us, did? I really think its a self entitlement attitude they have, and no, I am not an old fuddy duddy. I worked part to full time to put food on the table whilst putting myself through nursing school with the help of my money, grants, loans and scholarships as I raised my kids. I am 40 years old now, and I EARNED what I have due to my hard work and yes, I did have hardships just like everyone else. But having put myself through school without asking anyone for free money such as go fund me has made me appreciate everything I have even more. yes, Scholarships are a form of free money but that required writing essays, gathering documents, putting packets together, rushing them to the post office before the deadlines, only to get turned down multiple times, but so what? eventually one says yes, and the efforts pay off. But now people don't want to do any work for it and would rather put their face on the web to ask for a free ride? I find this very annoying and a slap on the face for those of us that struggled, AND made it. I hope these people that ask strangers to fund their education simply by asking for free money fail school because they do not deserve to be nurses. This is my opinion.

Let me flip it around:

If you could ask for money and get it, wouldn't NOT doing so be rather self-destructive?

I don't agree with the entitlement attitude either, but they are the wave of the future, this weak breed of hands-out-stretched population we are breeding. They are going to eat the cake that you worked hard to bake...so instead of complaining about them romping through the buffet while you slave away...what prevents you from joining them, except for pride?

I struggle with this myself. It's so tempting just to be a dang bum, but I want nice things, so I work hard for them, because hand-outs are what other people want you to have. I want what I WANT to have.

I agree strongly with your discontent, and it's a struggle.

Libby1987 · Feb 1, 2015

The people I would donate to wouldn't be on gofundme.

I had it pretty easy, lived at home while going to an affordable state university in California, I didn't even have bad weather. But my parents were depression kids and my sister cleaned houses with 3 kids and worked her way thru with zero help, well Dad did some babysitting after he retired, and worked her way to a CRNA with outstanding grades. No way would I fund someone who had a chance to get thru school with hard work.

Libby1987 · Feb 1, 2015

I've spent some time on a horse board, gotta love the fundme to go show my horse..

I'd be embarrassed.

vanilla bean · Feb 1, 2015

Nope. Won't fund a strangers education with my hard earned money just because they went through the trouble of setting up a web page asking for money. More power to 'em if they can find people willing to support them, but it won't be me.

Personally, I had to take out student loans for my AS (which I have since paid back in full) because my meager earnings at the time provided barely enough money to live, never mind pay for school. Paid for my BA as I went by working hard while going to school (at the job I was able to have thanks to my AS). And now paying back the 70 grand I had to borrow to complete my BSN. I appreciate my degrees that much more for having earned them and ultimately paying for them myself. But that's just my own perspective. Others can have their hands out looking for donations to pay for their schooling, they would just be wasting time looking in my direction with that empty hand.

jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B · Feb 1, 2015

To think of this a different way--these are different times. Students can not and do not receive the federal loans of old. They do receive federal aid, but it is much, much smaller than back in the day.

Scholarships and admission packages have gone WAY down. Schools and scholarship funds just don't have the money available that they used to. And you have thousands of kids wanting for not so much money.

Additionally, it is PARENTS who have to take out the loans now a days. That is the only option for student loans for a typical high school graduate, have a job (or 2) in the summer kids. Even kids who work during their school year, it is enough to buy books. And that is about it. Even some of the larger scholarships are making the pool smaller by requiring juniors in high school to apply. Which depending on one's guidance counselor, they may not know until they go on their senior year and lo and behold, the time has passed. Even the state "do really good on your tests and you will get a tuition scholarship!!" WELLLL, tuition is not even a quarter of the total bill, even for a state school.

The typical cost of a private college is $35K +/- per year. There are many students who can not get what they need to actually get a job with what is offered in some state schools. (Much like some state schools offer ADN only, and then one would need to go to an alternate school for a BSN). And there are just as many parents who either don't have the means the credit the circumstances to be able to GET a loan for their kids. And you have amazing kids who work hard and can't even pay for a year of schooling. Or parents who can't afford a $1000.00 a month for 10 month payment plan, or other such nonsense.

If one chooses not to fund, then don't. I think it is a bit odd that students may think that Joe and Josephine Blow from Somewhere, USA would fund a stranger's education, however, I guess it has happened. What I would see this as is family, friends, co-workers whatever have a place where they can give money that is actually earmarked for something good. As opposed to giving cash or checks, one can actually have the money go to college.

Red Kryptonite · Feb 1, 2015

Putting aside the moral aspect of it, if there are people willing to give free money away, why not get some of it and save yourself some loan payments later? There is no force going on here, anyone that donates does it freely and feels they can afford it.

JWG223 · Feb 1, 2015

Putting aside the moral aspect of it, if there are people willing to give free money away, why not get some of it and save yourself some loan payments later? There is no force going on here, anyone that donates does it freely and feels they can afford it.

Exactly. Pride is the only barrier, and let's face it...your pride is doing only ONE thing...keeping you from "making" money.

On the flip side, pride has value. Self-worth has value. Self-respect has value.

Some of that is priceless.

blondy2061h, MSN, RN · Feb 1, 2015

Didn't we just have this thread? Like 2 months ago? The OP sounds almost verbatim. It became quite heated.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Feb 1, 2015

To think of this a different way--these are different times. Students can not and do not receive the federal loans of old. They do receive federal aid, but it is much, much smaller than back in the day.

I graduated high school in 1999, which is not that long ago (to me, anyway).

it is PARENTS who have to take out the loans now a days. That is the only option for student loans for a typical high school graduate, have a job (or 2) in the summer kids.

I've told this story before. I was accepted to three regional state universities during my high school senior year. The only way I would been able to afford tuition was through parental cosigners, but my parents refused to cosign or even provide information for FAFSA, which prevented me from obtaining subsidized federal student loans.

So you know what I did? I ended up attending the School of Hard Knocks (a.k.a. entered the low-wage workforce & learned through baptism by fire). Now I'm 33 with no student loan debt, a degree with a nice return on investment, a good job, and hope for the future. And I did it without extending my hand out for other peoples' dollars.

roser13, ASN, RN · Feb 1, 2015

Didn't we just have this thread? Like 2 months ago? The OP sounds almost verbatim. It became quite heated.

https://allnurses.com/general-nursing-discussion/crowd-funding-yay-958412.html