I signed up for the payment plan program right before it expired at the end of September.
To me, that seemed to be the way to go.
So far, I have completed Health Safety, (skipped out of Health Differences due to LPN license) Reproductive Health, and will take Chronicity next week. My goal is to be on the CPNE wait list by January 1st. I plan to take Microbiology in January, and A&P in February through Excelsior.
I just can't help but feel sometimes that this is too easy almost. I am passing these classes with minimal studying and a majority of it seems as if it is a review of my practical nursing courses. I have read that they get more difficult, but I am wondering if the foundation has been laid already and I learned more than I originally thought I did in nursing school the first time around.?
Another part of me feels that this is the way that it should be; you learn what you need to learn, you quit wasting time in classrooms listening to an hour lecture for 16 weeks only to test out of the material anyway. A lot of my previous nursing school experience was self taught because I didn't understand the instructor, didn't care of the instructor's style, etc.
Anyway, I am pleased at how "do able" this actually is. I am trying to do an exam a week between now and Christmas, but I may space myself between the Lifespan classes because those seem a bit more in depth.
$185 for my diploma evaluation (I have Master in Computer Engineering from Russian university, had to translate and evaluate it), $75 application fee, $70 for cartridge and paper (I already had a printer)
I paid for "Package plan" - $1550, plus I had to take Microbiology ($240 exam +$8 book that I found on half.com), A&P($240 + $65 practice exam). I CLEPed Human G&D ($92), Sociology ($92), will be taking DSST Ethics next week ($95), took IL ($95) and Written English ($285) at local community college. Spend around $150 on books and study guides so far. Will have to pay $1950 for CPNE, plus tickets and a hotel. Plus around $700 for the workshop (including tickets and a hotel).
So, if you have less GenEd classes left, you won't pay for them. Package plan is obsolete now, so you have to calculate the cost depending on how many exams you need.
Look under the Publications - they have a file called something like "How much your degree will cost" - wery useful to estimate the final damage
If you take classes, yes, it is expensive. Most of us just take the exams, which is about $240 per exam. You can download a free study guide from EC website.
Every exam is taken at the physical location of Pearson Vue? Not online?
Yes. It's a distance learning program, not an online program. The only course you'd probably take online is the one-credit Information Literacy course required by EC.
Specializes in med-surg, geriactrics, oncology, hospi.
I wonder if I read the wrong information. It lists up to $900 for some of the classes? I thought Ivy Tech was expensive at over two hundred a credit.
I drive 115 miles 1 way to test.So what, that's less than driving to class a bunch of times. My last test cost $345. just weeks ago.Plus books if you buy them.The only on-line test is Info. Literacy unless you take EC English on-line- $975.
When you think about it, it's not that bad--even if it's 200 miles away. the tests are mostly only an hour or so every few months. worth thinking about.
Specializes in med-surg, geriactrics, oncology, hospi.
When you think about it, it's not that bad--even if it's 200 miles away. the tests are mostly only an hour or so every few months. worth thinking about.
Actually the tests are 3 hours, 160-180 questions. I usually need the whole 3 hours. Finished the A & P early (guess cause I was familiar c material from working so long in it) by 20 " but looked back over stuff I was unsure about.
Can someone comment on how to finance the Excelsior program? Can you take out student loans? I heard that this might not be possible since full time status can't be verified in a program that is self-paced.
I am passing these classes with minimal studying and a majority of it seems as if it is a review of my practical nursing courses. I have read that they get more difficult, but I am wondering if the foundation has been laid already and I learned more than I originally thought I did in nursing school the first time around.? 
happydrunkcat
169 Posts
For me it will cost around $6500.
$185 for my diploma evaluation (I have Master in Computer Engineering from Russian university, had to translate and evaluate it), $75 application fee, $70 for cartridge and paper (I already had a printer)
I paid for "Package plan" - $1550, plus I had to take Microbiology ($240 exam +$8 book that I found on half.com), A&P($240 + $65 practice exam). I CLEPed Human G&D ($92), Sociology ($92), will be taking DSST Ethics next week ($95), took IL ($95) and Written English ($285) at local community college. Spend around $150 on books and study guides so far. Will have to pay $1950 for CPNE, plus tickets and a hotel. Plus around $700 for the workshop (including tickets and a hotel).
So, if you have less GenEd classes left, you won't pay for them. Package plan is obsolete now, so you have to calculate the cost depending on how many exams you need.
Look under the Publications - they have a file called something like "How much your degree will cost" - wery useful to estimate the final damage