Skipping the waitlist for radiologic technology programs can come with a hefty price tag—often exceeding $50,000. While this route may seem appealing to those eager to jumpstart their careers, it’s crucial to weigh the financial implications and potential risks. Many private schools promise quick enrollment and accelerated programs, but they often lead to high-interest loans that can burden graduates for years. Additionally, not all programs are created equal, and some may lack proper accreditation, leaving students without jobs and stuck with significant debt. Tune in as we explore the real costs of bypassing the traditional path, share insights on making informed decisions, and discuss the importance of asking tough questions before committing to a program.
Navigating the educational landscape to become a radiologic technologist can feel like a daunting task, filled with competing priorities and high stakes. Many students find themselves on long waitlists for community colleges or hospital programs, which can span years. This situation leads some to consider private universities that promise a faster route to certification. However, these programs often come with a staggering price tag, sometimes exceeding $50,000, raising crucial questions about affordability and return on investment. The discussion unpacks the financial implications of this choice and the risks associated with pursuing a private education in radiologic technology.
The speaker shares insights from personal experience, offering a candid look at the reality of student debt and the long-term consequences of high-interest loans. With the average starting salary for radiologic technologists hovering around $60,000 to $70,000, many graduates find themselves trapped in a cycle of debt repayment that significantly impacts their financial freedom. The episode emphasizes the importance of understanding loan structures, interest rates, and repayment terms, encouraging potential students to weigh the benefits of expedience against the potential financial burden that comes with private education. The speaker stresses that life continues while students are repaying these loans, which adds an additional layer of complexity to their financial situation after graduation.
Moreover, the conversation delves into the importance of accreditation and program quality. Not all private schools are created equal, and aspiring technologists must ensure that the programs they choose are recognized and respected in the field. The speaker warns against the risks of enrolling in unaccredited programs, which can lead to job market challenges and wasted financial resources. Listeners are encouraged to conduct thorough research, ask tough questions about program outcomes, and critically assess whether the investment in private education aligns with their career aspirations. By sharing these insights, the episode aims to empower listeners to take control of their educational journeys, making informed decisions that serve their long-term professional goals.
Takeaways:
- Choosing to skip the waitlist for radiologic technology can lead to high financial risks.
- It’s crucial to research the accreditation status of private radiologic technology programs thoroughly.
- High-interest private loans can significantly impact your financial situation after graduation.
- Many people face long waitlists for radiologic programs, leading to costly alternative choices.
- Just because a program is fast-tracked doesn’t mean it’s the best option for everyone.
- Understanding the job market and potential salaries is essential before committing to expensive programs.
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© 2025 A Couple of Rad Techs Podcast
Transcript
Only person got to live with your decisions are you?
Speaker A:Nobody else.
Speaker A:Good or bad.
Speaker A:I spent over $50,000 just to skip the waitlist to become a radiologic technologist.
Speaker A:Of course it wasn't me, but that's the kind of messages I'm getting.
Speaker A:People are spending at least and more to become radiologic technologists.
Speaker A:You may ask how and why sounds crazy to some and totally reasonable to others.
Speaker A:For some people, that is the only option.
Speaker A:So today we're going to talk about the real cost of skipping the line.
Speaker A:Not literally skipping, but skipping the wait list and maybe what you hadn't thought about and what you need to know before you choose that route.
Speaker A:Now, I'm not saying it's a bad route or wrong route at all.
Speaker A:I personally did not choose a community college or a hospital based program to go to.
Speaker A:I chose a private university which did cost me way more because things are different now.
Speaker A:This was a university.
Speaker A:There are many private schools out here now that do offer radiologic technology programs.
Speaker A:And you want to choose the right one.
Speaker A:So stay with me to the end and be sure to chime in with any questions you have throughout this video because I'm going to be answering questions.
Speaker A:We all know there's a wait list problem when it comes to radiologic technology schools.
Speaker A:And it's very competitive.
Speaker A:And many people think, well, I don't want to go back and have to do prerequisites.
Speaker A:I've been out of school for umpteen years.
Speaker A:I just cannot redo that stuff.
Speaker A:Or there are some people that cannot pass the HESI test.
Speaker A:Hesitancy.
Speaker A:I'm not sure what it's called now.
Speaker A:It was a college entrance exam before, now it's a HESI exam.
Speaker A:There are things out there and those are reasons that people choose to skip the wait list and skip the competitiveness and just pay really high amounts to become radiologic technologists.
Speaker A:Programs today do not accept a lot of students.
Speaker A:Class sizes are very small, which leaves hundreds on the wait list for maybe two, three, four years.
Speaker A:The average wait list is two to three years.
Speaker A:messaging me saying it'll be:Speaker A:I'm like, what?
Speaker A:There are people out there that are working jobs they are not happy with and they want to start a new career and radiologic technology is it.
Speaker A:But with this wait list that poses a problem.
Speaker A:They can't fulfill their dreams.
Speaker A:So what's the alternative?
Speaker A:And this is where the private schools come into play.
Speaker A:They seem to be answering the wait list problem for those that can afford it and those even they can't afford it, but do it anyway.
Speaker A:There's no wait list.
Speaker A:It's a fast track program.
Speaker A:Some are accelerated programs, but they still give you the associate's degree which you have to have.
Speaker A:And they give you the seat in the classroom, which is what people want.
Speaker A:Sounds perfect.
Speaker A:Until people get the price tag.
Speaker A:The price tag is usually 50,000 or more.
Speaker A:One of the problems that some don't really think about when they choose to go to private schools is the loan amount.
Speaker A:Most people, if they're going, sometimes they already have A lot of you've been living life and you already have a card note, you got a house, you got this, you got credit cards.
Speaker A:So what kind of loan are you really going to be able to get?
Speaker A:Because many of these private schools do not offer federally backed loans.
Speaker A:They're usually private loans.
Speaker A:And even if they're through the federal government, they're still private.
Speaker A:So the, they don't kind of fall under the same rules as certain other federal grants for schooling.
Speaker A:So your interest rate is higher.
Speaker A:You can't defer.
Speaker A:I mean there are all kind of stipulations that come with some of these loans that people really don't read the fine print.
Speaker A:And once you graduate, it's like, whoa, most of your paycheck is going back to these really high interest rate loans.
Speaker A:And that's if you even qualify for the loans.
Speaker A:If you already have a lot of debt to income ratio, you may not get a lot of loan money.
Speaker A:And they might, if you have bad credit, you probably won't either.
Speaker A:Let's talk about the risk.
Speaker A:The average starting salary for a radiologic technologist is usually.
Speaker A:I don't care if you have an associates or a bachelor's, it's usually about 60, maybe 70,000.
Speaker A:But really, honestly, how much of your paycheck would go back to those loans?
Speaker A:Yeah, I bought me a brand new car when I graduated.
Speaker A:I'm just telling y'all what I did.
Speaker A:I bought a spanking brand new car.
Speaker A:I had never had one personally.
Speaker A:My dad always told me, don't buy a brand new car.
Speaker A:I wanted a brand new car and I worked my butt off through school and I was going to get me a brand new car and I got it.
Speaker A:I'm just being realistic.
Speaker A:Most people go out and buy them a car or buy something they really feel they deserve because you worked your butt off going to school for radiologic technology.
Speaker A:So how much of your check really is going to go back to knocking Those high interest private loans off that you took out for this $50,000 school to become a radiologic technologist.
Speaker A:That's one of the risk is most people pay the bare minimum.
Speaker A:You're going to be paying for years on that loan and life is still happening.
Speaker A:Bills are still coming, you're still accumulating bills.
Speaker A:You still got the bills you had before you got in school.
Speaker A:If you got a $50,000 loan at say 6% interest, your monthly payments are $580 a month just on that loan.
Speaker A:And that's a good interest rate.
Speaker A:There are interest rates that are a lot higher than that.
Speaker A:So it all depends on what interest rate you get.
Speaker A:Just kind of put that in the back of your mind.
Speaker A:Because here's another risk.
Speaker A:All private programs are not created equal.
Speaker A:That program may not be accredited and you did not check.
Speaker A:And once you get in there, you got that loan going, you started a program and oops, you graduated with from a program that's not accredited.
Speaker A:You can't get a job, you can't get your art or the program loses accreditation because they were on probation already and they didn't tell their students.
Speaker A:And now you're stuck in these loans, you're stuck in a program and now the school closes or the program closes down, you're left out there.
Speaker A:You still got to pay those loans back.
Speaker A:With no job, with no radiologic technology career, back at square one and probably in a worse situation.
Speaker A:Has it happened before?
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker A:This is not something that's made up.
Speaker A:So this is not to scare you, but it is to bring awareness to fast and quick is not always the best option.
Speaker A:So really understand the whole dynamics of it before you get into it.
Speaker A:So that way you can deal with whichever one it comes.
Speaker A:Because I'm a firm believer that only person got to live with your decisions are you.
Speaker A:Nobody else, good or bad.
Speaker A:So if you make a bad decision you have to live with, you make a good decision, you have to live with it.
Speaker A:I mean that's the way I look at things.
Speaker A:Hey, I can live with any decision as long as I've made it the job market now I've been in the field for 22 years.
Speaker A:The salaries up and down, they're not always consistent, they're not always the same everywhere you live.
Speaker A:Just because your cost of living is high in your mind where you live does not mean your job feels that that's the cost of living.
Speaker A:So you may see on social media other people and statistics if you go to Indeed ZipRecruiter and ASRT salary pages, you're going to get several different salaries.
Speaker A:Because what you don't understand is some of those salaries from some of those salary companies are telling you these people are travelers, that's why those salaries are so high.
Speaker A:Or these people work at a private prison institution, that's why those salaries are so high.
Speaker A:Just because ZipRecruiter tells you 135,000, you don't know what they're taking into account as far as how those people are making that kind of money.
Speaker A:What is the background, the experience, the area, the type of working conditions?
Speaker A:Here's a couple things you may want to worry about before choosing a 50,000 plus private school to become a radiologic technologist.
Speaker A:Is the program worth the cost?
Speaker A:Again, I said not all programs are created equal.
Speaker A:Look for the accreditation.
Speaker A:Look for their job placement and reviews from past students.
Speaker A:When you're interviewing a school, they're not just interviewing you, you're interviewing schools, y'all.
Speaker A:I flip it around.
Speaker A:Really ask the hard questions.
Speaker A:How long have you all been accredited?
Speaker A:Have you ever been on probation with your accreditation?
Speaker A:If so, what were the stipulations?
Speaker A:How did you fix those things?
Speaker A:Because you'll be surprised if you go to the accreditation's website.
Speaker A:It has a list of past and present colleges that are on probation or have been on probation and you can figure out what they did to satisfy it, if they did at all and maybe they didn't.
Speaker A:And if you guys don't go to these websites and ask these hard questions, you're going to be in a pickle.
Speaker A:With this $50,000 loan, with this high interest, it's all about long term goals.
Speaker A:What works best for you.
Speaker A:A $50,000 plus school loan, high interest rate might be just right for you.
Speaker A:And it's okay.
Speaker A:Don't worry about what other people say, but do listen to the the risk, the problems other have others have faced and take into those.
Speaker A:Take those things into consideration and make sure you ask the hard questions before you choose.
Speaker A:Any school is skipping the wait list and going to a private school and paying really high tuitions.
Speaker A:Like $50,000 plus to become a radiologic technologist.
Speaker A:Is it worth it?
Speaker A:Drop your thoughts in the comments below and let's start a conversation about this.
Speaker A:This is a good topic.
Speaker A:And don't forget to like subscribe and turn on your notifications if you like this video and for more videos.
Speaker A:I'll see you guys on the next video.