Why Are So Many Students Worried About Expensive Tuition

Published

I was reading other threads and I came across students who were accepted to private nursing schools but declined their acceptance because of the tuition.:nono: If nursing is your passion by any means necessary you should do everything to accomplish your goal. In NY, nurses start off with 70K+ a year:yeah:, so in a rough estimate its possible to pay off large loans within 5-10 yrs. The cheaper schools are much more competitive to get into. If you get accepted into NYU, PACE, LIU etc. just go for it. Is anyone with me on this?

I'm entering into nursing school now. My local community college is under $1,500 a semester, so with books it's only $3500 a year. If I include everything, to get my RN, I expect to spend about $8000.

Considering that in my town nobody else is hiring unless I want to work as cashier at my local Walmart, that $8k is a good investment. I also know people who pee away $8k each time they buy a new luxury car and drive it off the lot (i.e. the 1st year depreciation), so in the bigger scheme of things $8 is nothing.

To answer your question: You don't need to spend big money to break into nursing. And if you want a higher degree, you can always fill in the gaps and move up to a Bachelors or Master's diploma later.

And here's a tip: my community college's credits count towards pre-req for those programs at universities in my area. So I can take many of the Bachelor/Masters req classes (advanced math, chemistry, organic chem, etc) for the cheap community-college $80.00/credit hour... and without a long commute.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I wondered the same thing. I pay a load to go to a private college but It's worth it in the end. I only had to wait 6 months to start my program once I was accepted which was 3 months after I applied.. and it;s a 2 yr BSN fast pace, so I'll get it done faster and be able to pay my loans of that much quicker. I really wanted this so with how hard it is to get into any nursing school in San Diego, 4 yr wait at some schools, I don't know why anyone would decline.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
First of all nursing is one of the highest demand jobs on the market right now. Most graduates get hired before they even take their NCLEX, i'm speaking from a NY point of view, second how sick are we talking? Paralized to the point where you cant even move a limb for the rest of your life??? On the other hand I do understand if they realize that nursing isn't for them that makes sense, no one should be stuck unhappy with a career for the rest of their life.

Oh dear. I was kinda giving you the benefit of the doubt, but I think you have to be quite out of touch with the current situation to talk about new grads being pummelled with job offers.

How many people are still paying off the loan debt from their first degree?

Me. AND I'm paying for an expensive Accelerated BSN program. I'm not taking this debt lightly, but I'll get a BSN in 1 year versus an ADN in 2 years, and the faster program is worth it to me and my husband. I'd never suggest that someone in my position making another decision is less passionate than I am. I'm lucky- I have a husband who has a job that we can both live on for a year and family willing to help me with the private loan I'll need. Without that support there's be no decision for me to make.

1) Sometimes private insitutions are like Chevys: The price on the sticker ain't the price you'll wind up paying. I'm not suggesting you can haggle with the Admissions & Finance Offices (although I'd love to hear stories of people who'd tried :D). But sometimes these private schools are so well endowed that the price they charge gets paid down by the scholarships they can get you. And quite often prospective students get scared off before they see the final numbers.

AND

Where I live the difference between waiting list at the two community colleges vs the waiting list at the private school is 3 years vs no wait at all if you have the grades.

These are both good points to consider. My sister went to a private school for her degree and between grants and scholarships, all through the school, she has less student loan debt than I do, and I finished up at a public school. Admittedly, I took a lot longer than she did to graduate, but she was paying just under what our state schools would have cost her.

For those of us who are coming from lower paying jobs, a longer wait list means a few years of lost salary as a nurse.

In the end it's a personal decision. I think it does makes sense to find out what financial aid a school will offer before writing them off as too expensive, but unless you are wealthy money can't NOT be a factor. Especially in this economy.

I think the magic formula is your age, your comfort level with debt, and your goals, and keeping in mind that NOTHING is certain (except taxes and that other thing). :nuke: Being happy with your choice of career and doing what you want & love to do includes the financial road to getting there. For some of us that road has a few more potholes than for others.

Well said!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I agree with Carol. I was on a waiting list at the local community college program and had been on it for 2 1/2 years. It was a lottery every semester. The program whould have cost me about 2800 dollars to complete. I am paying 18,000 for the private school I got into within 3 months of applying. I have gotten a pell grant for 5000 and am trying to find as many scholarships as I can no matter how small to help in every way it can. But I am 44 years old and will finish just after celebrating my 45th birthday. I dont want to wait much longer. I want to be a nurse before I need one myself!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I feel people should find the cheapest school acredited by the nursing boards.Why get into 40 thousand or more debt to go to nursing school?the most debt you should have is about 10,000 or so.I really do not see the point but to each is own.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I agree with Carol. I was on a waiting list at the local community college program and had been on it for 2 1/2 years. It was a lottery every semester. The program whould have cost me about 2800 dollars to complete. I am paying 18,000 for the private school I got into within 3 months of applying. I have gotten a pell grant for 5000 and am trying to find as many scholarships as I can no matter how small to help in every way it can. But I am 44 years old and will finish just after celebrating my 45th birthday. I dont want to wait much longer. I want to be a nurse before I need one myself!

Tuchipie...I was LOL (guffawing, actually) at what you wrote, about being a nurse before needing one. Me tooo! I'm turning 40 this year...one of my goals is to be a nurse so I have access to healthcare when I'm old! :nuke:

The amount of money I'd spend doing a 2-year ADN is just about equal to what I'd pay doing a one-year accelerated program (tuition, expenses, books, etc)...sometimes it's a wash, financially...we just gotta do what we have to do.

A close friend of mine (now at Columbia doing an MSN) said, on the subject of loans: "Well, they go when you go..." That helps me keep it in perspective.

Good luck with your program!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I agree go to whatever school you are interested in. Nurses make money no matter what state they work in, it will not be a problem repaying the loan. A lot of jobs will help you to repay it.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I feel people should find the cheapest school acredited by the nursing board...

LOL!

With all due respect: The next time they wheel you into the ER, would you feel happiest knowing your Nurse went to the cheapest school accredited by the Nursing Boards?

Where IS that ad I saw the other day? Ah. Here it is: "Pass your NCLEX guaranteed, or we throw in free 2-week CDL training."

Up Vote Up Vote ×

This is just my little corner of the world -

First, I need to say, I live in NY, make no where *near* 70k (have been nursing for 3 years.)

I chose to go to a private school so I didnt have to wait to get into community college. Acquired about 40K in student loan debt.

I was a single mom and was hoping that I would be able to afford more with a new career and the loans wouldnt be a problem. I was wrong. My situation didnt get much better - times have been hard, life is uncertain - and my student loans are expensive. I even consolidated and they are terribly expensive.

So - my advice to you is do what your heart says and be prepared to be in a financial tight spot for a number of years if you chose the private road. Unless youre lucky enough to land that 70k nursing job. (if you find one, tell me where it is!) =)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I was reading other threads and I came across students who were accepted to private nursing schools but declined their acceptance because of the tuition.:nono: If nursing is your passion by any means necessary you should do everything to accomplish your goal. In NY, nurses start off with 70K+ a year:yeah:, so in a rough estimate its possible to pay off large loans within 5-10 yrs. The cheaper schools are much more competitive to get into. If you get accepted into NYU, PACE, LIU etc. just go for it. Is anyone with me on this?

I'm going to be point blank. Debt matters and the more you have, the more stress people tend to have and less money that can be spent in other areas. Some people pay $500 a month in student loans. That's around $6,000 a year. It isn't as bad as people make it out to be, but it still matters. Nursing is one of those professions that the extra debt from going to one school over the other isn't worth it.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med-Surg, LTC, Rehab, HH.

I think if you have a choice, (and if there is no wait)why not choose the cheaper school?? In the end, it doesnt really matter where you get your degree from. You will find that when you get your degree and are working on the floor, no one talks about where they went to school. And who really wants to start out in debt??

Also we are in recession. Jobs are getting harder to find. There are no guarantees anymore, not even in nursing.

Who knows what changes are going to be made with this new healthcare reform.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I dont see the point in getting in loads of debt for a asn or bsn degree.I think many people choose the expensive schools for the name,no waitlists or they feel they will get out faster and make loads of money.Let me say one thing nursing will not make you a billioniare you can live comfortable if you find the right postion so why get into billionaire debt?

Schools are a buisness just like hospitals and I am about my buisness so im not going to overload myself with debt.If I can get out with 8,000 or no debt why not?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion