LPN to ASN Programs- Description and Differences

[Pediatrics426]

I am a LPN trying to decide on a online ASN program. All my general nursing courses are finished. I need clinical courses only. Would someone please explain the functions and differences between Chancellors Learning Systems, The College Network and Excelsiors College. If you have information about which is the best way to go financially and educationally that would be helpful too. I have already had Fundamentals in Nursing 1,2,3 and clinicals as well as my clinicals in Psychology. I was in a pilot program for our state which has been discontinued.

Thankyou

Pediatrics426

[drmorton2b]

Excelsiors College is what I go with I hear the most about them and my tentative research points towards me using them if I decided to go beyond LPN. A couple of NPs I know went to Excelsiors College (formerly known as Regents I think) years ago for their RN back when the hospital in the northeast went RN only.

[lifelearningrn, BSN, RN]

I think all the programs you mention are for-profit colleges which are probably not the most economical route to take. Do you have a local community college with a bridge program?

[Pediatrics426]

I was in the only online program for my state which was a pilot program in our community college but it was discontinued.I do not think Chancelors is the same as Excelsiors though. I could be wrong. I do not know why you would register through Chancelors them Excelsiors unless the impression I am under is correct. I was under the impression that Chancelors compresses, for lack of better terms, the Excelsiors courses and gives you only the information you need to pass the NCLEX. I am not certain about that and that is why I am wanting input.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

The College Network is not an LPN-to-RN program. Chancellors is not an LPN-to-RN program. These are nothing more than publishing companies engaged in the business of selling study materials that eventually lead to a nursing degree from either Excelsior College (formerly known as Regents) or Indiana State University. Therefore, Excelsior College or ISU are one of the 2 schools you're really dealing with.

Most people are able to earn their LPN-to-RN bridge program nursing degree from Excelsior College or ISU without ever going through expensive publishing companies such as the College Network, Chancellors, and RUE. In addition, people have attempted to get out of the College Network's contract, and all were unsuccessful.

Buyer beware. . .

[Pediatrics426]

The College Network is not an LPN-to-RN program. Chancellors is not an LPN-to-RN program. These are nothing more than publishing companies engaged in the business of selling study materials that eventually lead to a nursing degree from either Excelsior College (formerly known as Regents) or Indiana State University. Therefore, Excelsior College or ISU are one of the 2 schools you're really dealing with.

Most people are able to earn their LPN-to-RN bridge program nursing degree from Excelsior College or ISU without ever going through expensive publishing companies such as the College Network, Chancellors, and RUE. In addition, people have attempted to get out of the College Network's contract, and all were unsuccessful.

Buyer beware. . .

Thank you for the information. Your information leads me to another question.What is the purpose of Chancelors,Rue and The College Network?

[heathert_kc]

RUE and TCN are publishing companies that produce comprehensive manuels to the classes offered by excelsior, that are supposed to replace the text books suggested by the college, for an extra fee they offer a phone tudoring service. They are basically big cheap $3 binders with like a few hundred pages of text. I talked to a representative from the college network some time back and they were charging like 500 or 600 hundred per book, which is crazy!! If you want to try and use their books, some say they are helpful, I would suggest checking out ebay. I have found them under $50 per book. If you go directly through excelsior you just pay a yearly fee, your testing fee each time you are ready to test out of a course, your text books, the clinical evaluation, then of coorifice to take the nclex; all togeather the college itself quoted me under $5,000 if I finished within one years time and I had all my prereqs completed. The other thing about these printing companies is that they guarantee you financing and make you sign a contract then you are stuck paying for it even if you later decide it is not for you. Try searching this site and you will find plenty of horror stories.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Thank you for the information. Your information leads me to another question.What is the purpose of Chancelors,Rue and The College Network?

They are all study systems that are supposedly designed to help with your studying efforts by breaking the material down into modules. However, keep in mind that people have completed their nursing degrees from Excelsior without the use of these study systems.

[caliotter3]

Thank you for the information. Your information leads me to another question.What is the purpose of Chancelors,Rue and The College Network?

To make money from uninformed potential students. The product provided in return for the contract is found to be inferior by many, and expensive by all. If you want study guides for the Excelsior College nursing tests, go to ebay and buy them used for $15 to $30 apiece instead of signing a contract for more than $5000. All information concerning the Excelsior College nursing program can be found at http://www.excelsior.edu. You can call or email an advisor with any specific questions.

[mahaleylyn2]

I for one used The College Network program. I did my investigation and by the time I bought all the books that I was going to need per class, and believe me there were several courses that you needed as many as eight books plus expense of mailing them, so it all adds up. Each course gives you a list of suggested reading for the course. Which one book that you need, might be for just two chapters that they want you to read. So I chose TCN, and yes it cost me. It was going to cost me one way or the other. I found with TCN all the subject material was covered in the course module. A co worker used Chancellor. She ended up using all of my books for there was so much more in the module I had from TCN than what was in Chancellors. I am now using TCN to finish my BSN. Of course my employer paid for my degree, which they were glad to do since at home study allowed me to work and attain my degree.

Mahaley

[Pediatrics426]

Dear Mahaley,

I know everyone has their own reasoning for the institution they have selected to go through for their education and materials. What works out well for one person might not work so well for another. I would like to ask you, simply out of curiosity, why did you choose against going directly through Excelsior? Please everyone, have patience with me and all my questions! I contemplate things to death and look at every avenue which causes me to ask "why" alot! It drove my mother "crazy" when I was a little girl!

Sincerely,

Pediatrics426

[Lunah, MSN, RN]

Some people choose TCN for the "convenience" -- but trust me, the cost of even buying the recommended texts for each exam will not add up to the $500 or so that TCN charges for each module. The Excelsior exam itself costs less than the TCN study module! I never could see the logic in that one bit. Besides that, there are things on some of the exams that the TCN guides never covered. I bought a couple of TCN guides used on eBay, and they were not adequate for test preparation.

Save yourself thousands, avoid the publishing companies ... you can buy used textbooks or even rent them from sites like chegg.com. The real purpose of RUE, TCN, and Chancellors is simple: to make money for themselves. They could care less if you ever finish your degree; you have to pay them regardless if you sign a contract with them.