Canadian wanting to get nursing education in the US

Ginger's Mom, MSN, RN · Oct 13, 2009

Most community colleges are day schools and not offering any housing. Second the tuition for out of state, can be expensive.

It is very competitive to get into US, associate degree programs since there cost is low for people who live out of state. There are no loans to assist you since they are for Americans.

Plan to wait several years and pay a high rate to attend cc in CA.

Fiona59 · Oct 13, 2009

When you say RPN do you mean Reg. Psychiatric Nurse or Practical Nurse? Big difference.

You might be able to achieve an ADN education at great cost due to being a foreign student. You have to remember that you will be required to obtain a BScN to work at home. Provincial colleges might permit you to work but under the condition that you obtain a degree by a certain date.

Advanced Practice Columnist / Guide · Oct 13, 2009

Hi, I am due to start nursing school in about a year and I just have some questions for anyone who has answers. First off, I live in Canada and I am really interested in studying in the US. Here in Canada we do not have associates degrees and that Is what I want, so I decided I would be willing to study in the US to obtain that. Im wondering how I can go about doing that. I have someone to stay with so I would not have to live on campus. Does anyone know about how much it would cost to go to a community college in NY as a Canadian ? and also is there anyway for me to get financial aid as a Canadian? Another question I have is if I go to school here in Canada and get my RPN licence what will that be equivelant to if I decide to go work in the US? The last question is if I get my RPN licence in Canada how long will it take for me to become an RN if i decide to continue my education. Some people have said to me that it would take longer than if I were just to do the 4 year degree program initially. Is this true? Also, would the hospital pay for me to continue my education in the state that I decide to work in?
Thanks in advance,
Ana

I would post in the New York forum so you can get responses from nursing students in NY.

Community colleges can be competitive to get into and have different ways of determining who gets accepted and who doesn't. In Michigan, many of the community colleges admit students based on their grades after completing prerequisite courses (Nutrition, Anatomy and Physiology, Chemistry, etc.) and some also factor in student scores on a standardized entrance exam (such as NET or HESI). Students are ranked based on these factors and those in the top percentile get admitted. There are a few here that admit students regardless of academic achievement but enforces a waiting list and it can go as long as two years to get into the program because of the large volume of applicants. I've heard lottery systems in other states as well.

Again, I am not familar with NY community colleges especially their admission practices and cost. Generally speaking, community colleges offer very low tuition compared to universities both public and private if you reside in the district the school is located in. Typically, it is the county that administers the school and county residents get the discounted tuition. You will not be qualified for any financial aid as a Canadian but even as a foreign student or out of district student, tuition for you will still be relatively low.

Articulation from an AAS or AA in Nursing to a BSN can take about 2-3 years to complete depending on arrangements made by the community college and the universities in the area. It does seem longer than a traditional BSN if you factor in the time it took for you to complete your prerequisites. The time factor for BSN completion can also be affected by the university you plan to attend for BSN completion. Some community college credits transfer well to certain universities and some do not as well. Typically, hospitals do offer tuition reimbursement for BSN completion. Some hospitals here in Michigan even have on-site BSN completion programs and they are arranged through a local university.

You'll have to refer to Fiona's post regarding ability to practice back in Canada later.

jenn8500 · Feb 4, 2010

Have you already applied to schools in NYS? I am from Alberta and I'm finishing my last semester of the 2 year associates degree in upstate NY (not the city). I came here for the same reason; to complete the RN program in 2 years instead of 4. I found that the schools in this state are not as competitive as some of the other states. I applied to the school in July for nursing and was accepted in August and started school in August! They will transfer all of your canadian courses with C or better with no problem, you don't even have to pay to have courses evaluated in this state. As far as the finances, it is substantially more expensive as you are an international student, but you can get loans from the canadian federal government not the U.S. financial aid. The nursing programs in this state are excellent and it is money well spent! Do keep in mind that if you plan on returning to Canada after obtaining a 2 year associates degree you most likely will not be able to work in Canada as the minimum requirement is a bachelors degree in most provinces. That said, I think the only province you can work with a 2 year RN is Manitoba, but they would have to evaluate the program which can take 3months to a year.

dishes, BSN, RN · Feb 4, 2010

If your ultimate goal is to work as a RN in Canada, then why take a longer and more expensive way of reaching this goal? If you take either the US associates program or the Ontario RPN program, you are going to experience more roadblocks then you are aware of. Consider speaking to a student counsellor at a Canadian university before you make this decision.

dishes