Companion worksheet
Is NP School Worth It?
Your Worksheet.
Use this with the calculator. Print it, or save it as a PDF. Nothing you write here is sent to RNtoNP.
Is NP School Worth It? Companion worksheet
General information only, not a personal financial plan. Check every figure against the source the program or agency publishes.
Part 1: Questions to ask each program
Write the answers down, with the date and the source (page, catalog or staff name).
- Is the program accredited by CCNE or ACEN? Where can I confirm it?
- What is the total tuition and fees for the full program, and what does each school year cost?
- What is the first-time pass rate on the national certification exam for recent graduates, and where is it published?
- How are clinical placements arranged, and who finds them?
- How many hours per week does the program expect in class, clinical and study time?
- Can I study part-time or online, and how does that change the time to finish?
- Does the program accept my transfer credits or prior nursing degree?
- Where do recent graduates work, and does the school publish that data?
Part 2: Costs to gather
Tick each item when you have a figure, and note where it came from.
- Tuition and fees for each school year (from the school, not an estimate)
- Books, software, uniforms and equipment
- Clinical travel, parking and housing near placements
- Background check, drug screen, immunizations and required courses
- Certification exam fee and state licensing fee
- Your RN pay before tax, and how many hours you can keep working
- NP pay in the area and role you plan to practice in (use a current, published source)
- Loan terms offered to you: amount, interest rate and repayment term
- Scholarships, grants, or employer tuition help you can apply for
Part 3: Scenario log
Each row is one set of inputs from the calculator. The field names match the calculator's inputs. Write the result you see, and the page or date you used.
| Scenario name | RN pay per year ($) | RN hours per week | Share of RN pay kept during school (%) | Total tuition and fees ($) | School years | NP hours per week | Share of tuition borrowed (%) | Loan interest rate (%) | Repayment term (years) | Years to look ahead | Optional tax estimate (%) | Result: break-even year | Result: lifetime difference ($) | Source and date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scenario 1 | ||||||||||||||
| Scenario 2 | ||||||||||||||
| Scenario 3 |
Questions to answer before you decide
- Which result changed the most when you changed one input? Which input do you need to check first?
- What would you need to believe for the NP path to pay off in the time you have?
- Which result would make you stay in your current role, or choose a different route?
Read the methodology before you rely on a result.