College Network or Excelsior for LPN to RN ASN degree?? So Confused!!!

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Specializes in wound care, sub-acute, community nursing.

Hi all,

I am trying to decide between TCN or Excelsior for my nursing classes, at some point I would have to transfer all my CN classes to excelsior anyways right? How much did excelsior end up costing you all who have completed it?? How did you pay for it?? Are there financing options? Every time I have tried to speak to someone over there I am on hold forever or they seem rude, like I am asking stupid questions. I would like to start ASAP and finish ASAP, but I wonder if I should just take a personal loan to pay for all of it?? It's getting frustrating! I have been "trying" to get my RN now for about 6 years...I have taken all the non nursing classes at local community colleges. Any advice would be a huge HELP!!!:loveya:

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.

It is crucial to realize that The College Network (TCN) is NOT a college. They are not conducting any nursing classes, they do not award credit nor grant degrees. TCN is a third-party publisher of study guides -- period! They will add thousands to the bottom line. Thousands. My advice? Skip TCN, go straight to Excelsior College (EC). You can buy used TCN modules on eBay for a fraction of the original price if you really like their study materials. Please do NOT sign a contract with TCN without doing some thorough searching and reading in this forum.

Welcome to Allnurses!! :) I'm an EC grad myself. I did not use TCN.

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The question is not "between TCN and Excelsior". Excelsior is the school that grants the degree so you have to enroll there to graduate. TCN is only a publishing company that you can very well do without. Read up on the many threads in the distance forum about TCN before you sign anything with them. Go to ebay and see if you can find any of their study guides for sale and try one out. They sell for $15 to $30 on ebay.

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Specializes in wound care, sub-acute, community nursing.

I have a friedn who works for TCN and said you can purchase all 7 nursing modules for a certain price and finance them over 5 years, can't finance anything with EC. After you finish all 7 nursing modules you then transfer them to EC and enroll, then apply for the Clinical exam (final). It sounds a little more doable for me since I don't have the 250-300 dollars eveytime I want to take a teat. This way I can finance it all and have my payments be under 100 per month. I will still graduate from EC in the end but TCN seems more up my alley for the nursing modules.

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Specializes in wound care, sub-acute, community nursing.

There seem to be NO financing options for EC...that is what is stopping me...the $$$$ up front. I know you can finance the enrollment fee, but that's it.

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.
There seem to be NO financing options for EC...that is what is stopping me...the $$$$ up front. I know you can finance the enrollment fee, but that's it.

You can do a payment plan with EC. Please talk directly to EC before you spend thousands extra with TCN. Here is the info: https://www.excelsior.edu/Excelsior_College/Financial_Aid_and_Costs/Excelsior_College_Payment_Plans

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.
After you finish all 7 nursing modules you then transfer them to EC and enroll, then apply for the Clinical exam (final).

To be clear, you CANNOT take all the nursing exams without enrolling with EC and becoming an Excelsior student. There is no way to "transfer" credits from TCN to EC. TCN is not a college, does not award credits, and therefore cannot "transfer" anything.

If you are an LPN, you can take the first nursing exam without enrolling, but that's it. Again, please talk to EC before you commit to a contract with TCN. Seriously. Your friend at TCN has some outdated info -- there are 8 nursing exams, not 7. There is also the FCCA to take before you can do the CPNE (that final clinical exam). I encourage you to explore EC's website and download their nursing catalog. Also, this is good info:

https://www.excelsior.edu/Excelsior_College/About/Test_Preparation_Services

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Your logic is faulty. Taking on a $5000 to $6000 debt just to get financing is not wise. Instead, consult with Excelsior College about financial aid and financing the enrollment fee. Once you are enrolled with EC, you can take a test whenever you are ready. They cost about $260 or $280 apiece. When you have saved $280 or whatever the price, sign up for the test. Take it, then save up for the next one. This makes sense. It beats paying whatever the monthly payment to TCN would be over the course of a $6000 unnecessary debt. When you research TCN on this site you will find examples of people who can assure you that if you default with TCN you will wish you never dealt with them. No one here is trying to give you bad advice. There really is no need to pay several thousand dollars to TCN for study guides that you can buy used for as little as $15.

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Specializes in wound care, sub-acute, community nursing.

I know, I spoke to an advisor at EC and she told me all toll I would pay about 6-7 thousand there anyway, but not able to finance any of it. For me it would be less stress to finance and know a certain unchanged mount would come out of my account monthly than to worry about coming up with 300+ everytime I want to test. I feel like either way I will pay the same amount in the long run, but still graduate from EC. (hopefully, If I can pass that God awful final clinical!!) I'm still weighing the options, but the advisor I spoke with at EC was so rude and condisending to me both times. She wasn't much help to me at all. I have got more help from you all here than I have with her. I feel like my head is spinning! I just want to get going and finish and do the right thing.:banghead:

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Specializes in wound care, sub-acute, community nursing.

I was also told I could take the nursing modules and exams through TCN (same as EC tests) and transfer them all into EC when I am ready to enroll there. She just started at TCN about 4 months ago. I'm looking over the paperwork Wednesday so we'll see, I want whatever is going to be convienient for me since I work as well as have 2 kids in school.

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If the EC counselor told you it would be between 6 and 7 total, then that is for EC. TCN charges you between 5 and 6 for their study guides. That makes your total costs between 11 and 13, a vast difference. Financing 13 grand to get a 7 grand education when you could save up for each test with the same money you would be paying to the TCN finance company is not easier to me. Have never run into rudeness with EC advisors. Someone must have been having a bad day. Good luck with whatever you decide.

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You might find down the road that this program is just plain not for you (a possibility). Then you will be paying back to TCN that big debt. If you go straight through EC by paying for each exam, as you can afford them, and only as you can afford them, then if you withdraw from the program, you have no remaining debt. TCN gets you to sign a binding contract and does not care whether you complete the program or stack their study guides in your garage.

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