Excelsior College or College Network

stephera · Sep 27, 2007

Do you know how much it will cost approx through Excelsior? I have been an LVN for one year and had the college network come talk to me but if I go through Excelsior can I test out of the courses like I can with the college network? Also can you get financial aid with Excelsior? Thanks ahead for the info.

WELL I HAVE SIGNED UP WITH TCN AND I THINK THAT I HAVE MADE A HUGE MISTAKE. DOES ANYBODY KNOW WAYS OF GETTING OUT OF THIS AGREEMENT? MY 3 DAYS ARE ALREADY UP!!!!!! HELP......

caliotter3 · Sep 27, 2007

Stephera

Sorry about your mistake, but I have only read about one or two people who have successfully broken their contracts with publishing companies and they had to go through litigation to do so. Contact an attorney immediately. I also remember another person, quite some time ago, stating that she just refused to pay anymore, and miraculously it did not appear on her credit report. However, others have reported that they have been pursued in court to comply with their contracts. You are probably stuck. Sorry.

mc3

Excelsior used to print a long list of institutions that accept their degrees. Have not seen this in a long time. Suggest you contact Excelsior and the institution you are interested in directly to see if your Excelsior degree will be acceptable. Good luck.

JesOLVN · Sep 29, 2007

HELP! I have an appointment on Monday with The College Network, but after reading all the responses, I am so confused. Can someone help me understand who I should go through to get my RN! Who is cheaper?? The reason I wasn't going with Excelsior was because I heard their clinicals are out of state!! I know this has been discussed. I would appreciate help from anyone who has attended The College network or Excelsior. Thanks! :uhoh3:

donsterRN, ASN, BSN · Sep 29, 2007

HELP! I have an appointment on Monday with The College Network, but after reading all the responses, I am so confused. Can someone help me understand who I should go through to get my RN! Who is cheaper?? The reason I wasn't going with Excelsior was because I heard their clinicals are out of state!! I know this has been discussed. I would appreciate help from anyone who has attended The College network or Excelsior. Thanks!

PLEASE do a search on this site of the Distance Learning forums; you'll find much information about this very thing.

In a nutshell, the College Network is NOT a degree-granting institution of higher learning. They are a publishing company who produces and sells study guides for the courses you'll need to pass successfully at either Excelsior College or (I think it's called) Indiana University. You do not need them. They will promise you anything to get you to sign a contract, which, to the best of my knowledge, is nearly impossible to break and is very expensive. Excelsior College posts on their website a disclaimer warning their students away from these companies who will often claim a relationship with the college. No relationship exists. Also, the clinicals that you speak of are not actual clinicals. Excelsior's enrollment is limited to persons with specific clinical medical backgrounds. Excelsior's clinicals are not a learning experience. The CPNE (Clinical Performance Nursing Exam) is just that: a two and a half day challenging clinical examination that encompasses various patient care situations and care planning. The exam is monitored by Excelsior staff, but they are not there to teach you. It is expected that you come to the exam clinically prepared.

Please reconsider meeting with the College Network representative on Monday. I do not think you'll benefit. You can receive the same materials and information directly from the school for free.

caliotter3 · Sep 29, 2007

Ditto everything Don said. Simply put, The College Network simply gives you a contract to sign to add thousands of dollars to the cost of getting your nursing degree from Excelsior or Indiana State University. Their study guides (TCN), the study guides of other publishing companies, can be bought for a fraction of the cost, on ebay. Depend upon the Excelsior College website: http://www.excelsior.edu, for info about their programs. Also get the right frame of reference. Excelsior is not a "teaching school", but an examination process to demonstrate learning and clinical skills gained elsewhere. This is where so many people get confused about the "lack of clinical". Excelsior has never stated that their clinical performance examination, the CPNE, was a clinical teaching experience. It is a clinical performance examination, nothing more. Good luck with your future decisions concerning distance learning.

malka · Oct 20, 2007

Just curious....have you continued with EC and where are you in your studies.

malka · Oct 20, 2007

Shull,

I am going through TCN and have applied. I loved reading your experience and now teaching future LPNs. What a story!!!! I am 56, have been out of school since 1973 and work ICU/CCU, post-open heart step-down telemetry, oncology and med/surg. Took a 21 year break for personal reasons and have been back to work and am now evening supervisor at assisted living facility. Got IV certified as we weren't required to do that back in the day. I love studying and am fairly disciplined and a visual learner. If I have questions, may I email you for help?

Malka

bekahc · Feb 16, 2008

I have been a nurse for the last 5 years and I have talked with both EC and CN. CN has me completly convinced that without their help I cannot pass the tests. Is it true that EC just tells you what books to buy and throws you to the wolves? Also, I am worried about what kind of education I will get with excelsior. Any advice on the subject is welcomed. I am so confused as to what to do and my husband is sick of hearing me debate the subject. Help!

nurselindah, BSN, RN · Feb 16, 2008

I also looked into TCN-seems sooo expensive. Also-in California, LVNs cannot enroll in Excel. College so our options are more limited. We have to go thru Indiana State. Iit is almost impossible to get into an RN course in colleges in So. Cal.-the wait lists are 2 years+ and even then there is no guarantee.

Any advice? I'm open to all suggestions. I am trying to find out if I can "test out" of Micro and Physio. somewhere else and still get into a bridge program. Sheeh-I have been on the internet for about 24 hours now.

SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN · Feb 16, 2008

nurselindah, contact Indiana State directly. I believe, though, that you have to use TCN. TracyLVN, a Californian, did a huge search and that was her answer. And it's all we in the dislance learning forum on this board know of, as well.

If ISU will let you test out that you can do through Excelsior, I beleieve.

lholland · Feb 18, 2008

Hi all - Lacey LPN x 14 years. Am debating whether or not to use CN for LPN-BSN. Any one done this program? I do know that you don't have to use them but the rep from Indiana State University said it's easier for me to use them to coordinate everything. Feedback?

shull · Feb 21, 2008

It really is a very hard decision to make. In 1992 when I started it was with three other LPN's and we did it together through RUE publishing company. Regents (Excelsior now) didn't offer the study guides at the time. It was very challenging and we all had many LPN years under our belts and a lot of support from each other. It depends on many factors. I did not want to sit in a class room again. I had teenage boys and a husband and a full time job. So the external degree program was the way to go.

You don't have to go through the schools or publishing companies but you need to find out what classes you would need to graduate from Excelcior, because eventually you have to enroll. You can take the classes and then have them review the classes and then you can enroll. If you are not self motivated and dedicated then I would not do this. I would just go to school because it would be a waste of money. I found it to be less money than a traditional school. I am very happy with the results and I stayed on and got my BS with Excelsior.

CPNE is just that an examination of clinical and it was nerve racking but again I really wanted it and couldn't afford to fail so I didn't go until I was ready and passed my three patients in a row and my lab. I dropped my forms in the mail on the way out of the parking lot right after I passed the clinicals. Its not for everyone but it was for me!! Good Luck! SHULL