Tuition, how much is too much

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Hi everyone!

Just wanted to get your opinion on "How Much Is Too Much?" for these nursing programs. ... As you all know there are so many it there! I'm a second degree seeking student so those absn and entry level msn programs are pricey! Especially the ones without a waiting list.

How much are you willing to pay?

Do you believe the amount spent was worth it (job prospects, income after graduating? )

It's super hard for to put a "price" on my happiness and future... but would YOU consider paying 100k to become Nurse Practioner in 3 years???

THANK YOU! ! I hope someone gums this thread useful! ..

p.s. feel free to share how much your program cost/is costing you as well :)

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.
It's super hard for to put a "price" on my happiness and future... but would YOU consider paying 100k to become Nurse Practioner in 3 years???

No, no, no. Use a loan calculator and estimate your repayment amount, and how long it would take you to pay that back and how much your monthly payment would be. That would be way too high. You're probably tacking on an additional $30-40K in interest and looking at payment around $1200/month (basically like a mortgage payment!), unless you're independently wealthy and paying out of pocket, which means you can tell me to go jump in a lake. :)

Are you a prelicensure student?

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Thank you for your response! ...haha! ! eeek! $1200 payments per month. That's a ton lol but I wonder do NPs earn enough to pay it back. ..

I see you have allot of fancy letters behind your name.. what did it cost you? Or what's a reasonable amount to spend for an advanced nursing degree granted I'm not independently wealthy! lol

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Deleted since topic is post BSN.

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.
Thank you for your response! ...haha! ! eeek! $1200 payments per month. That's a ton lol but I wonder do NPs earn enough to pay it back. ..

I see you have allot of fancy letters behind your name.. what did it cost you? Or what's a reasonable amount to spend for an advanced nursing degree granted I'm not independently wealthy! lol

The ones that count for your purposes are the MSN and RN. I started off with an Associates degree (ASN) that enabled me to be an RN, that cost me $1300 out of pocket. Yes, really. Then I did a bridge to BSN, and that one cost me $9K out of pocket (student loans). Then I did an MSN in Nursing Informatics, and I think I paid maybe $2K out of pocket (no loans), the Army picked up most of the tab for that one while I was active duty.

Do a salary search in your area for Nurse Practitioner. I am not denying that the money is good, but it isn't THAT good that you can afford huge payments like that. Seriously, go to the calculator and throw some numbers in there: FinAid | Calculators | Loan Calculator

Even if you spread your payment out over 30 years, you're still paying $650/month and paying an extra $130,000 in interest! That is nuts.

I was in an MSN/FNP program for a little while, and I think the entire enchilada would have cost me about $25K - but I have my GI Bill thanks to military service, so out of pocket would have been zero. But I finally had an epiphany that I didn't want to be an NP, so I have since switched over to a Nurse Educator MSN program.

I think a lot of people are doing these direct entry programs for huuuuuuge amounts, and then getting surprised when it comes time to do loan repayment. Have you looked at scholarships, like the HRSA that requires you to work in an underserved area? NURSE Corps Scholarship Program

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Specializes in Acute Care.

The FNP program I was just accepted into is about $18,000. I would never pay $100,000 for a NP program. What do you do if you have an unforeseen situation that stops you from fully completing your degree and you're left with like a $75,000 loan? I think the highest I would consider is $30,000 but you do whatever is best for you.

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to answer your previous question YES I am pre nursing. I have a ba in another field and I was looking tostart a career in nursing. OFCOURSE the most expensive programs get you in and out the fastest, as i am not getting any younger I was trying to rush things, lol..BUT there is no point in rushing into what seems to be a mountain of debt.... I can 't believe you paid $1300 for a degree that is amazing! It sounds like overall your entire nursing education has been under 50,000 t Which is kind of amazing!!!! Thank you for referencing those student loan repayment programs that is definitely worth looking into. I mean I would love to be a nurse ASAP, but I also want to fall prey to predatory entry level and accelerated programs.

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Dfuturenp25...congrats on your acceptance!!!! and 18k! That's an amazing price to pay for an FNP.... Full transparency I do have to clarify that the program i (was) looking into gave you a rn degree and fnp at the end of 3.5 years lol...so i guess that equates to about 50k for rn and 50k for the fnp ..,,now that i actually spell it out that does sound a bit crazyy and scary!

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.

My ASN/RN was a paramedic to RN bridge, so it was cheap, and I had a scholarship as well as tuition reimbursement from my employer - the total tuition for that program was actually $6K or so. Same deal with the BSN - I paid $9K, the total was about $17K. The total for my MSN was $9K, the Army covered $7K of it. I have an AAS in Paramedic studies, and I also have an old liberal arts AA from 1991. lol. Those were community college degrees, so no debt their either - I paid as I went.

I totally understand the need for speed - I didn't become a paramedic until I was 31 and an RN until I was 36, so I was a late bloomer. But you're smart to not saddle yourself with a huge debt in the process. That would be awful!

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Yeah I'm pretty much in the same boat in that I won't be done until 31 and that's if i could start tomorrow lol

debt is no fun! ! Maybe I'll look into just completing a bsn at a regular state school as rn programs are greatly impacted and try to find a job where an employer might sponsor me a bit...that would really only set me back 2 years. A lifetime of debt probably isn't worth a 2 year head start....i think

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.
Maybe I'll look into just completing a bsn at a regular state school as rn programs are greatly impacted and try to find a job where an employer might sponsor me a bit...that would really only set me back 2 years. A lifetime of debt probably isn't worth a 2 year head start....i think

Smart cookie. :) I worked as an ER tech when I was a paramedic and doing my bridge program, so my employer paid a lot of my tuition for RN. Of course, that was in 2007-2008, so things may have changed in the working world, like an abundance of tuition reimbursement, but it is worth considering!

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HI, I was trying to find a way to private message you but I was wondering if you attended Chamberlain in Atlanta I may be moving to Atlanta and im trying to find out some information from someone who has attended and graduated and I cant get a response from anyone else I just wanna make sure I cant get a job.

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