School isn't Accredited

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.

So I'm looking to go back to school to bridge at some point & the community college in my town isn't accredited, should I be worried?

I wanted to go with them for many reasons:

1. Because they are close.

2. Because they would accept my old sciences.

3. They have a daycare for my son.

But if they aren't accredited & that would make life difficult for me then I would go to a different college that is.

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OK, let's start with the basics. What are you trying to "bridge" from and to? What accreditation does this "community college" not have? If you are in Texas, your school should be accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Is this a public community college or a for-profit school? Since I assume that you're talking about nursing program, are they accredited by ACEN (formerly NLNAC) or CCNE (for BSN and higher degrees)? Are they approved by your state Board of Nursing? If they are accredited and approved, what is their NCLEX pass rate? Do employers in your area accept graduates of that school?

You will need to get answers to all of these questions before you invest your hard earned cash and a good chunk of your life in a program that may or may not meet your needs and expectations. Your ultimate goal should be to arrive at the end of this step in your educational journey with a degree that allows you to sit for the licensing exam, and perhaps further your education at some future date. Bear in mind that missing one or more of these accreditations could mean that you won't be able to continue your education in the future, and that some employers will not hire you (the VA, for example, will not hire graduates of a program that was not ACEN or CCNE accredited at the time you graduated).

Just my $0.02. Your mileage may vary.

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
OK, let's start with the basics. What are you trying to "bridge" from and to? What accreditation does this "community college" not have? If you are in Texas, your school should be accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Is this a public community college or a for-profit school? Since I assume that you're talking about nursing program, are they accredited by ACEN (formerly NLNAC) or CCNE (for BSN and higher degrees)? Are they approved by your state Board of Nursing? If they are accredited and approved, what is their NCLEX pass rate? Do employers in your area accept graduates of that school?

You will need to get answers to all of these questions before you invest your hard earned cash and a good chunk of your life in a program that may or may not meet your needs and expectations. Your ultimate goal should be to arrive at the end of this step in your educational journey with a degree that allows you to sit for the licensing exam, and perhaps further your education at some future date. Bear in mind that missing one or more of these accreditations could mean that you won't be able to continue your education in the future, and that some employers will not hire you (the VA, for example, will not hire graduates of a program that was not ACEN or CCNE accredited at the time you graduated).

Just my $0.02. Your mileage may vary.

Bridge from LVN to RN. It is a public community college. It is approved by the TX BON. Employers around here accept graduates but I don't know where I'll end up in 5-10 years due to my husband's job. I just looked up the NCLEX pass rates, in the 70% range. Terrible!

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

You need to be cautious of non nationally accredited nursing programs for they do not always transfer to another state. Even LPN RN bridge program while some are good one state may or may not accept teh program for example. Excelsior grads have had issues in New York and California not accepting the schools even if you passed NCLEX in another state. ISU LPN RN program has had issues as well usually it is that the academic and clinical are not concurrent. For example...ISU online LPN RNBSN is nationally accredited however....not all states recognize it....

AccreditationIndiana State University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association. In addition, the LPN/LVN to BS Track is approved by the Indiana State Board of Nursing and accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc. (ACEN).

Indiana State Online Students Residing Outside of Indiana: Each of the states has its own approval processes for out-of-state institutions offering online degrees. While Indiana State University endeavors to offer all of its programs to as wide an audience as possible, all ISU online programs may not be available in all states. Currently, online programs are not offered in the states of Arkansas and Massachusetts. To check the status of programs available in a particular state, visit program availability.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
Bridge from LVN to RN. It is a public community college. It is approved by the TX BON. Employers around here accept graduates but I don't know where I'll end up in 5-10 years due to my husband's job. I just looked up the NCLEX pass rates, in the 70% range. Terrible!

Be aware this can be risky when you go to transfer your license to another state. However Texas is a compact state so you will be able to get a license in those states.

https://www.bon.state.tx.us/licensure_nurse_licensure_compact.asp

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.

So should I go to a different community college? I don't want to ruin my future because of convenience.

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.

I looked it up, it is SACS accredited but not ACEN. I think between that & the low NCLEX pass rates it really puts me off. I really want to apply but if it's gonna make my life difficult, then I won't.

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

I would look at other programs

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