Nursing program to charge students
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| Carilion Stonewall Jackson Hospital's School of Practical Nursing will begin charging tuition in July because of finiancial difficulties. (ADAM CANCRYN/The Rockbridge Report) |
For the first time in the program’s 44-year history, the Carilion Stonewall Jackson Hospital’s School of Practical Nursing will charge each incoming student tuition.
Administrators of the nursing program agreed with school officials last week to start charging tuition in July, after the Buena Vista School Board reported that it could not meet its financial commitment to the program.
Local students, those from Rockbridge County, Lexington or Buena Vista, will be required to pay $1,000, while out-of-county students will pay $4,200.
The nursing school is jointly funded by the Buena Vista, Rockbridge County and Lexington City school systems, with each individual school system responsible for covering its students’ tuition costs.
Rebecca Gates, superintendent of Buena Vista schools, said that the program’s rising costs have become too big a burden.
“Every year, the tuition cost has gone up for Buena Vista,” said Gates.
For the 2006-07 budget year, Buena Vista contributed about $7,000 to cover its students. This year – with the district already facing a large deficit – tuition costs for Buena Vista climbed to $16,925 for four students. For next year, the projected cost would be about $28,000 for six students.
The nursing program, established in 1964, lasts for 11 months. Currently, tuition for one student is approximately $4,200, not including books and other supplies.
The program accepts only 15 students each year.
Penny Fauber, director and instructor of the nursing program, said some students would run into problems paying tuition.
“For some of them, it will be a big deal,” she said.
Fauber said she had already received 22 applications from people who had been hoping to attend and counting on their tuition being covered by the program.
“It’s a very quick way for a person to get into an entry-level position,” said Fauber. “It appeals to people who have just graduated from high school and want to get into some sort of profession.”
Fauber said she is seeing an increase in unemployed workers looking to retrain themselves and find much-needed jobs. The class currently in session includes two students who have college degrees but cannot find work in their field.
Besides its rising share of tuition costs, the Buena Vista school district faces an estimated $1 million budget deficit for the 2009-2010 fiscal year. That in itself makes it impossible for the district to meet its share, Gates said. And the Lexington and Rockbridge County school systems were unwilling to cover Buena Vista’s financial commitment, creating a considerable funding gap.
“The localities need to be responsible for their students,” said Dan Lyons, Lexington’s schools superintendent. “It has to come down to Buena Vista and what their priorities are. Everyone has the same budget problems.”
From Fauber’s perspective, despite the projected tuition increase, the program’s financial situation could have been worse. She originally feared that the program would be eliminated completely.
“There were three weeks there where we didn’t know what was going to happen,” she said.
Although placing a greater financial burden on its students, the nursing school will continue to keep its doors open, and next year, Dabney S. Lancaster Community College will acquire the nursing school from the hospital.
Fauber said she expected the move to Dabney S. Lancaster to eliminate the economic strain on the program and its students because the community college, which is state- funded, would take over the operating costs.
“The financial part would be taken care of and students would be eligible for grants and loans,” Fauber said.
Richard Teaff, president of the community college, stressed an academic benefit of the transition. Once students complete the nursing program, they could immediately begin working toward a bachelor’s degree, said Teaff.
But he was hesitant to say that the transition alone would solve the nursing program’s financial difficulties. With the move not coming until next year, Teaff said he had not yet studied the program’s budget nor made concrete plans to restructure the program.
“Right now, there’s a whole lot of questions, but not a lot of answers,” he said.
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