Help! Stuck in Remediation policy… cannot graduate!

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I have passed all my Nursing classes at my community College on December 2019, but I was denied receiving my Nursing associate diploma because I did not pass my Exit HESI exam. The Exit HESI passing score was 850, my score was 784.

At first, I was told I need to go through the Remediation program working with my teacher at school which I did from January 2020 until now; we met online every other week. Then, on May 2020 I was told school has new policy; remediation test passing score is now 90% straight and Exit HESI new passing score is 900 instead of 850. Also, I need to pass the remediation test before I be able to take the Exit HESI exam again.

Per my remediation teacher suggestion, I had a meeting with the Dean of Nursing school last month. I was told they will bring my concern in their next faculty meeting for policy change consideration. Although this policy is not on school website.

I believe remediation questions are even more difficult than Exit HESI questions. I have spent last 6 months doing remediation. I know there is no way I would be able to pass remediation test with 90% score. I was told I am eligible to take the Exit HESI exam three more times before December 2020, but school is not letting me to take my Exit HESI exams!

All my classmates graduated 6 months ago, and I am still waiting. I owe $40,000 student loan that I need to start paying back. I need my school allow me to take my Exit HESI test as soon as possible. Can someone suggest what options I have?

Thank you!

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A lawyer.

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I agree on the lawyer part. You shouldn't be bound to the new rules to graduate. Defer your payments for now and only pay on interest that you get every month. And focus on doing what it takes to be able to take that HESI. If the remediation test minimum was NOT a part of the requirements if you fail the HESI when you finished your last class, they can't just throw that new rule in and apply it to you. You're only bound to what rules existed when you failed the exit exam that first time. And if the school is refusing to let you test, sue.

And this is why, for everyone else who reads this, I don't care what accreditations the school has, AVOID SCHOOLS THAT USE EXIT EXAMS. They exist purely to manipulate who can sit for their boards so that the school's first attempt pass rate is higher. Which is a big part of how they were able to get that accreditation. A GOOD nursing school will have that high pass rate WITHOUT an exit exam as a gatekeeper to if you're allowed to graduate and take your test. And a school like that who isn't ACEN/CCNE accredited is most likely a massively better school than the one that is. Yeah, it limits your choices of schools to move on to for future degrees, but almost every bachelor program is CCNE accredited, and for associates, there's ALWAYS a list of state colleges and universities that you're guaranteed acceptance and to have your classes transfer to, which is almost definitely going to be a CCNE accredited program so, no big deal.

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Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.

Does it now cost $40,000 for community college? Is this a for profit school that was easy to get into? But now you can't get out?

Not only do their NCLEX pass rates look better but the whole remediation racket seems to be quite a cash grab. I second the advice of talking to a lawyer.

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Specializes in oncology.

When were you admitted to the nursing program? Since that time did you drop out and get readmitted? Your graduation requirements will be listed in the catalog/student handbook of the last date you were admitted. Was there a structure to remediation that required 6 months of meetings? If so, find where that was written.

2 hours ago, Nursing2094 said:

Per my remediation teacher suggestion, I had a meeting with the Dean of Nursing school last month. I was told they will bring my concern in their next faculty meeting for policy change consideration. Although this policy is not on school website.

This is in your favor. Is there someone who is over the Dean? Can you just give me an idea of the school structure? Are you still paying some kind of tuition? Try not to be too defensive or make accusations at this point. I believe, if you are not a source of income for the school, they also would probably like to see you graduate.

After 6 months of additional study your should be able to pass the remediation test and the Exit HESI I would think. You may be psyching yourself up to fail. Look, you passed all your courses. Your HESI Exit exam was almost respectable but showed you needed additional study WHICH YOU HAVE DONE. If you have complied with all the school's requests you should be able to change their minds.

Best wishes and please keep us posted.

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Think of how much you have lost in wages.

A lawyer is cheaper than letting them lead you along.

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Specializes in oncology.
1 minute ago, anewmanx said:

A lawyer is cheaper than letting them lead you along.

Following a school grievance policy will also be what the lawyer says. The school is obligated to give her concerns due process. If the policy/procedure is not written (it does not have to be on the website if a written copy was provided) then the next step is legal action.

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32 minutes ago, londonflo said:

Following a school grievance policy will also be what the lawyer says. The school is obligated to give her concerns due process. If the policy/procedure is not written (it does not have to be on the website if a written copy was provided) then the next step is legal action.

I do not disagree, but retaining legal council places pressure on the administration.

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Thank you for all replies.

At current school:

First Semester - August 2018 - I admitted to Nursing school and I passed all classes.

2nd Semester – Spring 2019 – I passed all classes.

3rd Semester – Summer 2019 – I passed all classes.

4th Semester – Fall 2019 – Final semester – I passed all classes.

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7 hours ago, Nursing2094 said:

I have passed all my Nursing classes at my community College on December 2019, but I was denied receiving my Nursing associate diploma because I did not pass my Exit HESI exam. The Exit HESI passing score was 850, my score was 784.

At first, I was told I need to go through the Remediation program working with my teacher at school which I did from January 2020 until now; we met online every other week. Then, on May 2020 I was told school has new policy; remediation test passing score is now 90% straight and Exit HESI new passing score is 900 instead of 850. Also, I need to pass the remediation test before I be able to take the Exit HESI exam again.

Per my remediation teacher suggestion, I had a meeting with the Dean of Nursing school last month. I was told they will bring my concern in their next faculty meeting for policy change consideration. Although this policy is not on school website.

I believe remediation questions are even more difficult than Exit HESI questions. I have spent last 6 months doing remediation. I know there is no way I would be able to pass remediation test with 90% score. I was told I am eligible to take the Exit HESI exam three more times before December 2020, but school is not letting me to take my Exit HESI exams!

All my classmates graduated 6 months ago, and I am still waiting. I owe $40,000 student loan that I need to start paying back. I need my school allow me to take my Exit HESI test as soon as possible. Can someone suggest what options I have?

Thank you!

This sounds like a kafkaesque nightmare! I don't know much about this but I would report them and get a lawyer to remediate the situation and also sue the crap out of them. This sounds insanely unnecessary

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Specializes in oncology.

You said this was a community college. There should be a grievance policy -- it may be in the college catalog or your student handbook. Start gathering the materials you will need - the policy about the HESI test pass score, the remediation test passing score and the remediation procedure for example, who would decided you were done with remediation (was it a set period?, number of faculty meetings, activities you needed to do to show active remediation), and any communications from the college. You will need these things whether you obtain legal council or not.

From these materials you can start drafting your response to the change in remediation test and HESI Exit score.

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Specializes in oncology.
18 hours ago, Nursing2094 said:

I owe $40,000 student loan that I need to start paying back. I need my school allow me to take my Exit HESI test as soon as possible. Can someone suggest what options I have?

I want to add you need to formulate what you want the resolution to be. For example, taking the HESI Exit Exam and achieving the 850 score. If you do seek out an attorney a retainer may be involved and you are already 40,000 in debt. Was this a community college run by the state or a private career college?

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