Students asking for free money

[l.a.m.b]

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 goFundme 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 know I am being harsh and it sounds terrible, but 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. I know many people that had deaths in the family or other crisis happen in their lives and they got through school by working or loans instead of playing victim and mooching off others. This is my opinion.

[PinkEagle]

Soooo what's the point of this thread? To ventilate and belittle people who are asking for donations to fund their education? Dude it's simple....if you don't like it, DON'T DONATE (duh!)! The other side of the entitlement coin, are Americans who force people to respect them just because they had the ability to "pull themselves up from their bootstraps"! You were able to pay for school by working 10 jobs or borrowing $50,000?? GREAT! I'll bake you an imaginary cookie! What else is there to say? We live in the country that not only gives a person the right to apply for a $30,000 loan with 12.5% interest but also to ask for donations!

I would personally not fund anyone simply for the fact that I don't have the money to do so and any extra funds that I have go straight to funding my own education. Plus, it's weird donating to a complete stranger, if it were someone I knew personally they might have a better chance but only if I had extra coins! But the "self entitlement" argument is bogus and this thread needs to DIE!

[Libby1987]

Are all of the theories/stereotypes of self entitlement/narcissism/need for instant gratification for millennials without substantiation?

I think so because I don't see it in my kids or their friends but I sure have a lot read of it, along with current gofundme type trends.

[blondy2061h, MSN, RN]

Student loans are 12.5% interest now? Really? My credit card is 16%.

[LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN]

Are all of the theories/stereotypes of self entitlement/narcissism/need for instant gratification for millennials without substantiation?

I think so because I don't see it in my kids or their friends but I sure have a lot read of it, along with current gofundme type trends.

Agree.

As a millennial, NO, I'm not self entitled; rather, millennials don't have the corner on self entitlement; I find these attributes in generations X, baby boomers and even the silent generation; I found it WORSE in the silent generation because they thought that they were OLDER, they could treat people with LESS respect it none at all...pretty self entitle to ME..just sayin' *off soapbox*

NOW.

We have to also remember that some people have NOBODY-think wards of the state, orphans, etc; in my state a lot of wards don't even have enough to cover tuition and board-they NEED to go to school because they have no money-funding is cut off once they graduate high school-and they would be homeless; they are not eligible for any general welfare because the previous governor (lost re-election because of this and many other things) cut many off many of having general welfare, including children who were wards of state and demolished programs relating to funding for many college wards and orphans , which would've helped; not everyone is eligible to enter the reserves due to health reasons, and I would rather not have someone resort to having children-the only way to get on welfare these days in my area-as a resort to get help; Or getting on SSI or SSDI unless necessary to help with school; but then to get out of those programs can be just as difficult-I've lived it.

I rather give money to a single orphan that has a dream of prosperity and has done all the work they can do and all their options have exhausted and doesn't WANT to resort to having a baby and other desperate measures to survive; at least they desire to be a productive member of society; it does take a village sometimes; who wants to deny that?

I rather uplift someone so that one day while I'm walking down the street, they hold a door open for me instead to trying to rob me. I'm know I'm being overboard, but in the grand scheme of things in my area, I don't think so.

[joanna73, BSN, RN]

I also worked full time, lived on my own and had a 50,000 student loan. I did without all the non-essentials to survive, including a cell phone and cable during that period. I am another one who feels that crowd funding for non-essentials is very distasteful. Disasters are a different story.

And by the way, I was a ward of the state long ago. I've worked very hard for everything I have, as many others have in similar predicaments.

[dirtyhippiegirl, BSN, RN]

I feel like people use these threads purely as an opportunity to gloat about how THEY pulled themselves up by their bootstraps...they need some sort of outlet for how angry they are that they did not get that free ride so they take it out on some deluded kids looking for a hand out that they will never receive.

I got a free ride through the virtue of being born to a doctor who made good money. The same for my husband whose doctor mother paid for commercial aviation training that he never used. I have known a lot of bad things in life but financial insecurity is not one of them. My story is the face of the actual free ride...not some 20 year old who might raise $200 from family.

[Ruas61, BSN, RN]

One can ask.

However, asking opens the door not only for potential donations but also commentary.

Some may be supportive others not.

You're putting it out into the universe.

[joanna73, BSN, RN]

I don't think people are angry. You've got different values and different opinions, just as every other discussion on AN.

[VANurse2010]

I also worked full time, lived on my own and had a 50,000 student loan. I did without all the non-essentials to survive, including a cell phone and cable during that period. I am another one who feels that crowd funding for non-essentials is very distasteful. Disasters are a different story.

And by the way, I was a ward of the state long ago. I've worked very hard for everything I have, as many others have in similar predicaments.

This doesn't have anything to do with the subject, really, but I wouldn't consider a cell phone a non-essential anymore. It's generally expected by employers, educational institutions, businesses, etc. that people have a cell phone. I think that's been the case for at least the past 5-8 years.

[joanna73, BSN, RN]

I found a landline price that was much cheaper than the cell phone. It was a way to cut costs. That was from 2005-09 so also in the time period you're referring to.

[LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN]

I also worked full time, lived on my own and had a 50,000 student loan. I did without all the non-essentials to survive, including a cell phone and cable during that period. I am another one who feels that crowd funding for non-essentials is very distasteful. Disasters are a different story.

And by the way, I was a ward of the state long ago. I've worked very hard for everything I have, as many others have in similar predicaments.

And I am explaining that at this present time, wards of my state have uphill battles and don't have the resources available to "pull up their bootstraps", they either get slipped through the cracks, are homeless and are ineligible for many things; there are others that use the military and other programs; not every ward is eligible; we can't ignore those who may be disabled that now virtually have no money and may be stuck; for example, my OVR counselor TOLD me I would NEVER be a nurse again; well, guess WHAT? I went back to school and without SSA additional funding that they would entitle to me-couldn't get the app approved because of this counselor; I took out loans and worked as an independent contractor as a LPN (was one before I got disabled) and went back to school, and accrued 50,000 dollars in loans to get my BSN and STILL had my fiancé gift me that money; my loans wasn't enough to cover my schooling and I wasn't going to forego paying a mortgage and utilities and be in the hole.

It wasn't happening; and not everyone isn't going to be in my position and make those choices; and someone who has little to nothing would get stuck in the system or buck the system to make a change; and I won't criticize them for that, I'm willing to applaud them, even if it's something I wouldn't have done; it doesn't make them entitled, if anything, it's very humbling IMHO to ask for monetary help; most people suffer in silence and hunger; others open their mouth-like that saying, "closed mouths DON'T get fed."

Things are VASTLY different due to his economy; it's not like "back in my day..." situations...it's not, and I am cognizant of that; and that takes perspective.

If they want a go fund me account and want to get out of the system, I have no qualms donating to those cases; l'm not going ignore those people, OK?

Ok.

[PinkEagle]

Student loans are 12.5% interest now? Really? My credit card is 16%.

I just used that number for the purpose of my statement. I believe federal loans are about 8.6% but I have a private loan with interest rate of 19.5%!