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.
We all had uphill battles of some sort. Recession is nothing new either. It's cyclical. As I said, I'm supportive when you're speaking of some sort of natural disaster. There are grants, loans and scholarships for education.
With a BA and ADN and it was still another 70K just for the BSN?
My AS was not an ADN (it was for Respiratory Care). The 70K was for the first year of a Master's Entry program that equated to a BSN, as my BA had been completed at that school. Yes, I said first year.
College is getting ridiculous. This is coming from someone who worked two jobs, went to an in-state college, took classes at a community college, had help from mom, lived a home for the last half of school, and graduated debt free.
The state school I went to is horribly expensive. If I had zero help from my mom, I wouldn't have qualified for much financial aid and I would have been out of luck. I don't blame folks for getting desperate. If someone is willing to throw them a few bills, who cares?
I don't think I'd do it, but I understand. If you have lived with parents a year or two ago, your financing is based on their assets. It could be they can't or won't be paying for school. Maybe they have a bunch of debt or do not even speak to the student. i believe it is all still counted. School costs way more than when I went to community college in the mid 1980's. Not to mention that in many places an ADN will not do to start, a BSN is required. It is a new world and a new way. If a needy student I knew to be a good worker did it, I might throw in a few dollars.
Specializes in Cardiology, Cardiothoracic Surgical.
Agree with some of the PPs- it's really hard for a lot of kids to get scholarships these days for college, or even to know about the financial aid office in the first place. I must have counseled at least a few dozen of my peers in nursing school about filling out the FAFSA and applying for scholarships.
People ask for money all the time on Kickstarter and Gofundme to start businesses, go on trips, and record music albums. Funding someone's education sounds entirely reasonable in this context.
As a previous donor to several different causes, I like the aspect of 100% of my money going directly to the cause, and not into any overhead for a university or non-profit.
Umm...Why do ya'll care? If there are people who are able and willing to donate money to strangers, education is not a bad reason. I would say before judging so harshly, realize that you never know someone's situation and how hard they actually have been working. Sounds like maybe you all are bitter because there was no GoFundme around when you were in school?...
Times are tough. If you don't like it/agree with it then don't donate. I don't blame nursing students for asking. Education is expensive and because of cost it is out of reach for many of the citizens of the USA. I always said if I won the lottery I would start a scholarship for single people under the age of 25 who have no children. Anyone who has been in that spot knows why.
Personally, a LOT of those "go fund me" pages are beyond ridiculous. "Help send my kid on a mission trip", "Help us refurbish our pool as our Mother's dying wish", "I want to be a professional photographer, please help me buy an expensive camera", "My parent's won't pay for a Spring Break trip, help me go to Cancun with my friends" Yes, these are ALL actual go fund me pages I have seen.
I've also seen plenty of debates flare into ugly crash and burns over these. A couple that stand out are families of car accident victims looking to help pay for hospital bills and no one can verify that the accident even happened. Another was to support a family where the mother of twins passed away shortly after delivery. It seems like several people started pages/funds for the family and never turned the money over to the family.
For those reasons, go fund me pages leave me cold.
I would like a sugar daddy to go fund me. However, if that doesn't work out, now at least I know that I have options--
In all seriousness, very inventive and creative to sell your story and situation to strangers.
Perhaps if facilities did a gofundme we would get a raise!! But then the administrators with entitlement hang ups would use it for their bonuses....wait, that happens in real life anyways.....
Personally I probably wouldn't use GoFundMe for such a purpose. However, I can definitely understand the need in some cases to think outside the box. I graduated with my master's last year and I know all too well the astronomical prices of tuition. It was $600 a credit hour for an instate public university. Undergrad tuition was not much less, clocking in at around $550 a credit hour. I calculated room, board, and tuition for four years of undergrad was over $100,000. There is no way a student working a minimum wage job could afford that. All of this doesn't even mention the cost of parking passes, $350/textbook, lab fees, mandatory student health insurance, etc.
Scholarships are almost a thing of fantasies now. The applications are so lengthy and detailed that for $250, is it even worth it? So many scholarships have very stringent criteria now, as well. I remember I tried to apply for a scholarship but because I cannot speak fluent Polish, I was not qualified. I would think taking out loans would be a last resort. The interest rates in many cases are unforgiving.
After reading some of these replies, I'm beginning to think I'm insane for NOT having started a gofundme page and choosing to take out loans/wait tables instead. Sheesh.
Personally, a LOT of those "go fund me" pages are beyond ridiculous. "Help send my kid on a mission trip", "Help us refurbish our pool as our Mother's dying wish", "I want to be a professional photographer, please help me buy an expensive camera", "My parent's won't pay for a Spring Break trip, help me go to Cancun with my friends" Yes, these are ALL actual go fund me pages I have seen.
I've also seen plenty of debates flare into ugly crash and burns over these. A couple that stand out are families of car accident victims looking to help pay for hospital bills and no one can verify that the accident even happened. Another was to support a family where the mother of twins passed away shortly after delivery. It seems like several people started pages/funds for the family and never turned the money over to the family.
For those reasons, go fund me pages leave me cold.
Seriously, people will start a GoFundMe for ANYTHING. One I saw, a couple posted a GoFundMe because they were mad that no one gave them any money at their wedding as a gift, even though they explicitly asked for money. I was like ... It's a wedding, people are there to celebrate your marriage not give you a handout.
joanna73, BSN, RN
4,767 Posts
We all had uphill battles of some sort. Recession is nothing new either. It's cyclical. As I said, I'm supportive when you're speaking of some sort of natural disaster. There are grants, loans and scholarships for education.