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

[BostonNurse2876]

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:

[agldragonRN]

educationguy kept contradicting himself. tcn does not award credits nor is accredited. tcn is not even an educational institution. it is like saying barnes and noble is accredited and awards college credits because you can buy the books from them. that is what tcn is - a company who supply books tailored to specific programs.

if you believe educationguy, then i will say barnes & noble awarded my anatomy & physiology i and ii credits because i bought the ap book from them. i will also call my nusing board and ask them if my credits are accepted because they were conferred by my community college through barnes & noble.

[belgarion]

TCN provides study materials at a high price so people can take CLEP, DANTES, or other credit by exam tests. Since passing those tests get the student college credits, TCN says THEIR program is approved. It's not the program that gets the credits awarded, its passing the tests. It's kind of like Pearson Vue taking the credit for you passing the NCLEX because you took it at their facility.

Why get roped into spending years paying for something you can easily do yourself? As an example, I am registered to take a couple of CLEP tests next month. Each test is $77 plus a $20 test center fee at the college where I am taking it. I have a couple of review books from REA that I paid a total of around $60 for including shipping. Do the math. In addition, I plan to take Info LIt through Penn Foster for $115. After this, I will knock out Microbiology and A&P through Excelsior before I start my nursing exams. All of this will be done with no middleman.

One of my kids CLEPed her entire freshman year recently. I paid the fees but she made all the arrangements herself through a local college. If a seventeen year old, with limited experience, can do this without TCN, an adult who has already made it through LVN/LPN school and passed the NCLEX should be able to do it.

Educationguy wants us to do our research. Well I did mine. I even had a TCN rep show up at my house. He left when I started asking the embarrasing questions such as "will I still have to pay the enrollment fee and test fees at Excelsior in addition to the money I pay you?" He tried to hem and haw his way around it but the short answer is yes. I asked "so why should I pay for something twice?" More evasive answers and he packed up his stuff and left.

One more thing. There is a wide gulf between a program of study being approved and being ACCREDITED. TCN's sales pitch does a real good job of overlooking that.

[Conqueror+, BSN, RN]

For the nth time IT IS A BOOKSTORE !! as a previous poster said. Nothing more. If you look at it this way it will save you alot of headache and expense. I got study guide CDs from ebay for about $15 per subject and used SG101. I have also learned that getting the FREE study guide that EC gives you and googling things helped alot. It really isn't as hard as it may seem. It can and is being done daily.

[WestPalmLPN]

OMG, you ladies are so protective of us new students.... I thank you!!!!! I almost sign with College Network, thanks to your post I did not & I have been doing great without all the extra cost. I have a friend that goes to TNC she said it's NOT WORTH IT.

[BarbaraNM, ASN, RN]

I do know two nurses that went through TCN for study materials, and graduated from Excelsior. Both said that the modules were VERY expensive... (essentially doubling the cost of becoming a RN).

I also know of 4 or 5 others that signed TCN contract, are making the mandatory payments, but have not made a lot of progress with EC exams.

As long as people keep in mind that TCN is nothing more than a (very) overpriced book store, that should keep it in perspective!

[keepitrealnurse]

I appreciate all the nurses out there who share their knowledge. I really dodged a bullet with TCN! When my husband gets stationed again, I will find a college and clep out of the necessary classes. I remember talking to a rep from TCN and they wanted me to pay 7500 dollars for those study materials and it was 250 a month. I quickly DECLINED! I think God! :yeah::yeah::yeah:

[hotnurse84]

i wish i had found this website before signing with them. tcn made it sound as if they were the only way to buy books for excelsior and get in that college.

yeah about 7000 grand down the toilet,,,makes me sick at my stomach.

[hotnurse84]

i meant 7 grand...lol:lol2:

[autism16]

I have been LPN since 1985- I have tried traditional school for RN but life gets in the way Loofing into at home online LPN to RN program need advise about TCN

[autism16]

LPN looking for updated info on TCN help ASAP need to make decision

[Lunah, MSN, RN]

LPN looking for updated info on TCN help ASAP need to make decision

TCN adds thousands of dollars to the bottom line ... both programs can be done without TCN. Do some more searches on this forum.

[caliotter3]

Instead of looking for info on TCN on this forum, go to the website of Excelsior College, http://www.excelsior.edu . You will find out what you need to do for the nursing program. It does not include entering a binding contract for thousands of dollars with TCN. Good luck with your decision.