Tuition Reimbursement Question ... Advice please!

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Specializes in L&D.

Hello All,

I will be graduating in May 2012 and I have been doing a lot of thinking lately about employment after graduation and passing the NCLEX of course. I don't know exactly when I want to start applying for jobs, but I do want to get some hospitals in mind that I might want to apply to in the near future. With that said here is my dilemma ....

I've been receiving a scholarship from my local hospital since I've been in college, which has been 4 years and for this service I would have to come back and work for them for 4 years or pay them the money back with interest. Okay that's the easy part. I would like to explore other options before I go back to this hospital because I really don't want to move back home (small town) and I would really like to move to the city when I graduate. So I would like to see if any hospitals in the Atlanta area since I'm from GA would be willing to pay this money back for me in exchange for me working for them for the specified amount of years. Or I would like to know if they could possibly give me some type of tuition reimbursement every month and I could use that to pay off my loans for the hospital. I just really don't want to pay all that money back PLUS INTEREST just because I want to move, but then again I REALLY WANT TO GO TO THE CITY! So, that's my problem. My question is how do I approach hospitals and ask them in the simplest and easiest way for them to understand what I would like without making it seem like I would be costing them more money then it's worth? Who would I talk to about this? I just want to get some other options. I hope I didn't make this confusing but I've really been thinking hard about this and with graduation approaching rapidly I think it would be a good idea for me to start talking to hospitals about this possibility. If you know of any hospitals that do this could you please let me know because it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!:redpinkhe:redpinkhe

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

In this economic crisis you were very lucky to get a promise of a job when you graduate AND give you money to go to school. That is rare these days.

You signed a contract I am sure. They entered into this agreement so they would have reliable help when you completed.......a way of ensuring loyalty. Without knowing the details of the agreement you signed, the only advice I can give is to read it, contact them and if you decide to break it....get a lawyer. Good luck

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Specializes in ER.

From what I read on these boards, you would be lucky to get a hospital to hire you, let alone pay your education costs back to another hospital that you ran out on after they put you through school. I don't get that. Why would you take money from them knowing you didn't want to fulfill the terms of the agreement?

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Specializes in Government.

No hospital I know of is going to pony up your tuition money to get you out of your agreement. The people who paid your tuition? Did so in good faith. Do your years of service or arrange to pay them back. Welcome to adult responsibilities.

Now you know why so few places offer tuition reimbursement anymore.

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There were people I went to school with that had a similar arrangement. When they graduated, the hospital didn't have enough jobs for them so their scholarship was forgiven. Of course, then they had not job. If they offer you a job, take it and you can always move in four years. It is very difficult to get into a hospital as a new grad now let alone asking a hospital to payback loans. I don't see that happening.

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I have to agree with what others have said. You may not realize how lucky you are to have a place after graduation. Our area is filled with new grads with no jobs (sometimes for a year or more!). But then to ice that cake with tuition reimbursement? I would encourage you to fulfill your obligations, get 4 years experience under your belt, and then move on to where you really want to be. You might be surprised where you want to be in 4 years anyway...

The more people that break deals like this, the less deals for new nurses there will be in the future.

"Be sincere and true to your word, serious and careful in your actions; and you will get along even among barbarians, But if you are not sincere and untrustworthy in your speech, frivolous and careless in your actions, how will you get along even among your own neighbors? When stand, see these principles in front of you; in your carriage see them on the yoke. Then you may be sure to get along."--Confucius (The Analects)

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Specializes in NICU.

What you're asking for in this kind of economy is naive and unrealistic. By all means, you can ask hospitals in Atlanta if they will do that for you, but I really think that they will either be polite and tell you no or will laugh at you...

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Specializes in Gerontology.

So this hospital was good enough for you when you needed money and you were probably very happy to get that tuition money each year. But now that it it's time for you to honour your side of the agreement they aren't good enough.

If you did not want to work for them, you should not have accepted their money.

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

you can always ask

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Specializes in L&D.

Thanks for everyone's honest opinion. No matter how harm they may seem I'm very grateful for them. I don't want to seem selfish because I'm really not that type of person. When I took the scholarship of course I took the opportunity. But now that I'm matured more and got more experience I just want a change of sensory. I don't think that's to much to ask for. I understand that it might sound selfish but that's just how I feel honestly. If I can't find a hospital to do that then I will gladly take that job. I just wanted to see what other options I had that's all.

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I think you should fulfill your obligations.

I received a scholarship and tuition reimbursement.

Then I was handed a full-time benefited daytime position on a platter.

Even though I do not have to pay back one red cent and would have rather taken a closer job that I was offered, it just seemed wrong. I felt they had invested a lot in me.

You are very lucky.

Just be patient and uphold your end of the contract.

You may have been taking advantage of an opportunity-- who wouldn't-- you still understood the terms and should not have done it if you had no intent to follow through.

Why on earth would you do that to a place you gave you a free education?

Right now, what you are asking for is too much and it will come off as selfish, even if that is not your intent.

I'm sorry if I sound preachy.

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You have a guaranteed position for four years and you want to dump it? Gutsy.

So, in essence, you are asking a hospital in(around) Atlanta for a 20k-60k+ sign on bonus for a new grad. Check the Georgia boards to see if any new grads are getting sign on bonuses. Heck, see if how many new grads are getting jobs. Then ask yourself how a hospital would look at a new grad who asked for them to repay your tuition that another hospital supplied. If I were the HR department a HUGE red flag would pop up with the words "Flighty" and "Entitled", or worse, on it.

You'll have to trust me on this one. Having a job in a small town just beats the daylights out of being unemployed in the big city.

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