I need advice please. I have my AA from Longview CC. I got an office job and left it at that. I'm still at that "office" job but I want to be a nurse. I have been busy raising my children to a more independent age etc. Now they are 13 and 9 so I'm inspired to hit the books again. Last week I inquired at NAU (and at $250 per credit hour OUCH!) I could get my Assoc RN in about 2.5 years for a whopping 20 grand plus or my BSN for 46 grand plus! It seems convenient that they have a part time schedule etc. Just very expensive and I'm a bit worried about the accreditation and a Sanford Brown nightmare as well.
Meanwhile, out of the blue, an acceptance letter for the LPN EVE/PT plan at Penn Valley came in the mail 3 days after that visit! If that's not a sign I don't know what is!
I took the LPN/Hobet test in 2001 for Penn Valley. I passed and couldn't attend FT days due to needing to work FT. I guess I asked to be put in line for the PT/Eve LPN and then forgot about it.
My dilema...I want to be an RN period. But...I don't want to pass this LPN thing up either unless I know I could do the RN at Penn Valley part time. And I don't want to wait 5 years like this! I took the Hobet in 2001!!!
I would again, I assume, take the compass test and the NET test to be accepted in the RN. I am enrolled in cell bio this summer just because I know I'm RN bound.
I've tried to get answers on the phone...ha ha. I'm making a trip to Penn Valley tomorrow to find out more on the Bridge program vs. RN part time.
It seems I would basically be taking 43 extra credit hours (LPN) if I did the bridge thing. I have all gen ed but psych 243, biol 109, and micro. I'm so close yet so far due to red tape.
I'm sure this is part of why I've been discouraged in the past
Now I'm wiser and more persistant. My figuring seems like the time frame part time will be about 3 years no matter which way I go.
17 month pt LPN
1-1.5 years bridge/RN
It will just be more money and credits to do LPN first.
I pray I'll know more tomorrow. Any ideas/suggestions???
Specializes in Pediatrics, NICU, Pediatric Epilepsy.
Good luck on whatever you choose. I start NAU in June. I was attending Penn Valley for two years, finished all my prereqs and then some and was still told that it would be Jan '09 (and with a 3.8 GPA no less). I know that NAU is soooo much more expensive but I will graduate in November '07, over a year before I would even have a chance of STARTING at Penn Valley. Heck, I can even do my RN-BSN before Jan '09:) BTW, I got into NAU on my first try. They don't have wait lists. The ones that didn't get in are mad that they don't get put on a wait list, but have to try all over again latter this year. I personally don't like the idea of a wait list. You should be admitted because you are one of the most qualified, not because you were the most patient. Hope this helps and good luck to you!
T
I was wondering how your experience at NAU is going. I am considering going that route as well. Feel free to PM me.
Iam starting my second sem at PV. If you already have your AA, I would suggest getting the rest of your pre-reqs at a CC and then transferring into a BSN program at KU or UMKC. Put in an application everwhere you can think of... N school is hard to get in to no matter where you go. LPN-RN is a good choice if you dont have any pre-req classes under your belt, but I think since you have your AA you should go forwards, not backwards. Check out Rockhurst (Research school of Nursing), too. They are expensive but have a good program from what I have heard (I was accpeted there but didnt want to spend the dough and had my acceptance from PV already)!
yes! i just spoke with nau today and it seems that it will be $294 a credit hour for nursing classes! fyi the core rn classes alone are 57 credits! that is $16,8k without books, Liability Insurance, etc.. just for the core classes alone!! you can transfer from the community college some of the gen eds but even then there are several that you have to take that are not required at the community college. completing the entire adn through nau is a total of 53 credits for general education, combine that with the rn core (110 total credits) it totals over $30k!!!!!!! remember this is without books, liability insurance, uniforms etc.. for only two years! (i think they have lost their minds!) i think the gen eds will still be $250 per credit but i am not sure, that is how i calculated it!
there is no way i am going to spend that kind of money for an associate in nursing (rn) through nau. i would rather go to umkc if i am going to even come close to spending that. umkc is cheaper than that??? (i believe park is also?) i would rather wait for penn valleys program at that price. although, as i said in another thread, it has been a headache deciphering what is going on there i have heard tremendous things about the penn valley program. most of the seasoned nurses i have spoken with tend to think it is crazy to spend that amount of money through nau!
in case anyone is looking for information on the requirements through nau for the adn here is a link to the degree program criteria: let me tell you, private or not, i about had a cow when i did the math! (
yes! i just spoke with nau today and it seems that it will be $294 a credit hour for nursing classes! fyi the core rn classes alone are 57 credits! that is $16,8k without books, liability insurance, etc.. just for the core classes alone!! you can transfer from the community college some of the gen eds but even then there are several that you have to take that are not required at the community college. completing the entire adn through nau is a total of 53 credits for general education, combine that with the rn core (110 total credits) it totals over $30k!!!!!!! remember this is without books, liability insurance, uniforms etc.. for only two years! (i think they have lost their minds!) i think the gen eds will still be $250 per credit but i am not sure, that is how i calculated it!
there is no way i am going to spend that kind of money for an associate in nursing (rn) through nau. i would rather go to umkc if i am going to even come close to spending that. umkc is cheaper than that??? (i believe park is also?) i would rather wait for penn valleys program at that price. although, as i said in another thread, it has been a headache deciphering what is going on there i have heard tremendous things about the penn valley program. most of the seasoned nurses i have spoken with tend to think it is crazy to spend that amount of money through nau!
in case anyone is looking for information on the requirements through nau for the adn here is a link to the degree program criteria: let me tell you, private or not, i about had a cow when i did the math! (
i transferred all of my gen eds into nau. there were only two classes required, other than nursing classes, that i needed to take at nau. so it is not costing me anywhere near $30k. i have about $7k in student loans and with my pell grant and scholarship from the hospital that i am signing with, that $7k is the only loan that i will have. the way i look at it i would lose $80k waiting to get into pv. now that does seem crazy:uhoh3:
i transferred all of my gen eds into nau. there were only two classes required, other than nursing classes, that i needed to take at nau. so it is not costing me anywhere near $30k. i have about $7k in student loans and with my pell grant and scholarship from the hospital that i am signing with, that $7k is the only loan that i will have. the way i look at it i would lose $80k waiting to get into pv. now that does seem crazy:uhoh3:
t
hey!
look i mean no disrespect for the avenue you have chosen. trust me several others that i know have considered it - myself included. but after discussing this with nau and with other nursing students through administration the consensus is at the very least they are exploiting the situation. there are concerns how long they will be around additionally what sort of nurses they will produce. there are ethical situations that are glaring right now it seems with this very new program through nau. i say get your rn and get out and go somewhere else for your bachelors, quick (if their classes will transfer? what is their transfer rate to complete all four years or application to another four year degree?).
honestly, the $15k ++ difference (because i am out of district) i will save will pay for my bachelors or masters?!?! actually, some hospitals will reimburse for that. but sure i have no complaints this, is 50 less students that i will have to wait behind to complete my core through penn valley. the wait isn't that long as it stands.
now to clarify, as i said before i can transfer most everything from mcc, however there are four classes in which they told me i would have to take there, classes that are not required through mcc and two of which do not transfer because there is no course offering at mcc for these classes. they are strictly proprietary through nau. let me see if i can break it down for you again to make it clearer --> the additional classes at nau are:
sci1200 nutrition (not required for mcc students but i think good to take and i do believe transfers)
ps1500 strategies for success (totally proprietary not offered for transfer)
cs2050 career management (totally proprietary not offered for transfer)
algebra electives --- i have been told that math 119 will not transfer
these classes total 15 credits at the tune of $250.00 not including books etc..
nau potential gen eds: $3,750 (if you don't take nutrition through mcc and you take a higher math course. i assume the nutrition class will not be charged by nursing student fees either and will follow along with general ed fees.)
the core classes alone for nau are 57 credits at the tune of $294.00 = $16,758 + additional gen eds classes
the core classes alone for pioneer/pv/ mcc are 37 credits at the tune of either $138 or $78 depending on residence:
in district: $2,886
out of district: $5,106
in addition, the rep. explained to me that books are proprietary and no easily found used? i am not sure about that as that i am not in the classes there. total cost of books is estimated at $845 new through the community college, but i have purchased most all of mine at the least ½ price, if not less.
but the total core nursing classes alone without books, uniforms, practice bag, insurance etc is:
nau core nursing: $22,433
penn valley/mcc *adding in nutrition and math 120 to keep it somewhat comparable:
mcc core nursing in district: $4,944 - savings of $17,489
mcc core nursing out of district: $7,524 - savings of $14,909
now tell me that you don't see a difference.
you're not going to like this opinion, but i am going to give it to you. since you were so open with me. however, i am not being scarcastic about it. it is great that you have a chance to have pell grants but i pay and have paid cash for my education. aside from the scholarships i have earned. i receive no assistance but even then i would not afford something so lavish. let alone from a school that is so new. rockhurst, umkc, ku even graceland are a few that have earned a reputation of producing nurses that are excellent. they have earned the right to charge elevated fees. nau has no real track record at this point. even though i have my own home and savings and retirement. i honestly find this offending that i have busted my butt so long and worked my fingers to the bone and paid my tax dollars into a program that allows money to be spent so lavishly for no real need other than to - make money quick? especially when i will not afford such luxury? i did not think that was supposed to be our objective as a nurse. whatever happened to ethics? i personally want to know i am being trained by the best of the best out there. you know, those people that are dedicated to their job so much that they work at a public community college for a meager salary producing nursing students that have learned from their experience? they have earned a reputation of ethics and professionalism over the years for a reason? that is whom i want to learn from. giving me every opportunity to be the best damn nurse i can be so my efforts will equal money. that is the way it should be.
here are the numbers broken down again:
total adn program through mcc 70 credit hours (according to their figures sent with nursing application) this includeseverything lab, books, etc:
total adn in district mcc:$9,516savings of $20,492 ++
total adn out of district mcc: $13,716 savings of $16,292 ++
total adn program through nau 110 credits:
gen eds @ $250 per credit @ 53 credits: $13,250
nursing @ $294 per credit @57 credits: $16,758
grand total for nau the basics:$30,008
so yes, this is what you are being charged at the least does not include any books, lab fees( believe are about $275 for 7 clinical classes at this time approx $1975 more), etc you might not have to pay this, but the government sure is. this is based on fees that were quoted me a couple of days ago. it is three times the amount of penn valley, and a little over two and a half times out of district plus+++
one of the things we were wondering; now are they guaranteeing on offering you $80k a year or just 40k a year? because a nursing student can make $35-$40k a year while they are in school and waiting for school... especially the lpns i know?
look i mean no disrespect for the avenue you have chosen. trust me several others that i know have considered it - myself included. but after discussing this with nau and with other nursing students through administration the consensus is at the very least they are exploiting the situation. there are concerns how long they will be around additionally what sort of nurses they will produce. there are ethical situations that are glaring right now it seems with this very new program through nau. i say get your rn and get out and go somewhere else for your bachelors, quick (if their classes will transfer? what is their transfer rate to complete all four years or application to another four year degree?).
honestly, the $15k ++ difference (because i am out of district) i will save will pay for my bachelors or masters?!?! actually, some hospitals will reimburse for that. but sure i have no complaints this, is 50 less students that i will have to wait behind to complete my core through penn valley. the wait isn't that long as it stands.
now to clarify, as i said before i can transfer most everything from mcc, however there are four classes in which they told me i would have to take there, classes that are not required through mcc and two of which do not transfer because there is no course offering at mcc for these classes. they are strictly proprietary through nau. let me see if i can break it down for you again to make it clearer --> the additional classes at nau are:
sci1200 nutrition (not required for mcc students but i think good to take and i do believe transfers)
ps1500 strategies for success (totally proprietary not offered for transfer)
cs2050 career management (totally proprietary not offered for transfer)
algebra electives --- i have been told that math 119 will not transfer
these classes total 15 credits at the tune of $250.00 not including books etc..
nau potential gen eds: $3,750 (if you don't take nutrition through mcc and you take a higher math course. i assume the nutrition class will not be charged by nursing student fees either and will follow along with general ed fees.)
the core classes alone for nau are 57 credits at the tune of $294.00 = $16,758 + additional gen eds classes
the core classes alone for pioneer/pv/ mcc are 37 credits at the tune of either $138 or $78 depending on residence:
in district: $2,886
out of district: $5,106
in addition, the rep. explained to me that books are proprietary and no easily found used? i am not sure about that as that i am not in the classes there. total cost of books is estimated at $845 new through the community college, but i have purchased most all of mine at the least ½ price, if not less.
but the total core nursing classes alone without books, uniforms, practice bag, insurance etc is:
nau core nursing: $22,433
penn valley/mcc *adding in nutrition and math 120 to keep it somewhat comparable:
mcc core nursing in district: $4,944 - savings of $17,489
mcc core nursing out of district: $7,524 - savings of $14,909
now tell me that you don't see a difference.
you're not going to like this opinion, but i am going to give it to you. since you were so open with me. however, i am not being scarcastic about it. it is great that you have a chance to have pell grants but i pay and have paid cash for my education. aside from the scholarships i have earned. i receive no assistance but even then i would not afford something so lavish. let alone from a school that is so new. rockhurst, umkc, ku even graceland are a few that have earned a reputation of producing nurses that are excellent. they have earned the right to charge elevated fees. nau has no real track record at this point. even though i have my own home and savings and retirement. i honestly find this offending that i have busted my butt so long and worked my fingers to the bone and paid my tax dollars into a program that allows money to be spent so lavishly for no real need other than to - make money quick? especially when i will not afford such luxury? i did not think that was supposed to be our objective as a nurse. whatever happened to ethics? i personally want to know i am being trained by the best of the best out there. you know, those people that are dedicated to their job so much that they work at a public community college for a meager salary producing nursing students that have learned from their experience? they have earned a reputation of ethics and professionalism over the years for a reason? that is whom i want to learn from. giving me every opportunity to be the best damn nurse i can be so my efforts will equal money. that is the way it should be.
here are the numbers broken down again:
total adn program through mcc 70 credit hours (according to their figures sent with nursing application) this includeseverything lab, books, etc:
total adn in district mcc:$9,516savings of $20,492 ++
total adn out of district mcc: $13,716 savings of $16,292 ++
total adn program through nau 110 credits:
gen eds @ $250 per credit @ 53 credits: $13,250
nursing @ $294 per credit @57 credits: $16,758
grand total for nau the basics:$30,008
so yes, this is what you are being charged at the least does not include any books, lab fees( believe are about $275 for 7 clinical classes at this time approx $1975 more), etc you might not have to pay this, but the government sure is. this is based on fees that were quoted me a couple of days ago. it is three times the amount of penn valley, and a little over two and a half times out of district plus+++
one of the things we were wondering; now are they guaranteeing on offering you $80k a year or just 40k a year? because a nursing student can make $35-$40k a year while they are in school and waiting for school... especially the lpns i know?
not even sure where to start....
that is great that you have earned your scholarships (i am not sure how it is that i have not). and i did pay out of pocket for all of my gen eds, so i am not sure how my ethics play into this. i have received one pell grant, for less than $1k i should add, which i would have recieved at pv also. i will not likely recieve another unless i become a widow, which is certainly a possibillity. and my loans are just that, loans, so i will be paying those back. i feel like your post painted me as someone that is lavishly living off of the govenrment and pell grants, which is far from the truth. also, pv receives state/govenment funding which is why it is less expensive (also why it must accept a certain % of students from the county that it is in). nau is private.
and no, books do not need to be purchased at the school. i have bought all of my books on half.com. (which i have paid out of pocket for) also, most of my instructors currently (or have) taught in other nursing programs including pv, ku, umkc, kckcc, juco etc.
and if i wait for two years to get into pv (jan '09 was what i was told) i will be losing money. i will be graduating from nau in november '07, be transferring to mu and have my bsn before i would even be close to graduating from pv. in that time i could earn a minimum of $40k a year. and my employer will pay for a portion of my bsn. yes, nau is much, much more expensive, but so is waiting. (i am not sure how i can earn $35-40k a year as a nursing student)
if you choose to go to pv, good for you. i have heard that it is a good school.
that is great that you have earned your scholarships (i am not sure how it is that i have not). and i did pay out of pocket for all of my gen eds, so i am not sure how my ethics play into this. i have received one pell grant, for less than $1k i should add, which i would have recieved at pv also. i will not likely recieve another unless i become a widow, which is certainly a possibillity. and my loans are just that, loans, so i will be paying those back. i feel like your post painted me as someone that is lavishly living off of the govenrment and pell grants, which is far from the truth. also, pv receives state/govenment funding which is why it is less expensive (also why it must accept a certain % of students from the county that it is in). nau is private.
and no, books do not need to be purchased at the school. i have bought all of my books on half.com. (which i have paid out of pocket for) also, most of my instructors currently (or have) taught in other nursing programs including pv, ku, umkc, kckcc, juco etc.
and if i wait for two years to get into pv (jan '09 was what i was told) i will be losing money. i will be graduating from nau in november '07, be transferring to mu and have my bsn before i would even be close to graduating from pv. in that time i could earn a minimum of $40k a year. and my employer will pay for a portion of my bsn. yes, nau is much, much more expensive, but so is waiting. (i am not sure how i can earn $35-40k a year as a nursing student)
if you choose to go to pv, good for you. i have heard that it is a good school.
your comment:
i have about $7k in student loans and with my pell grant and scholarship from the hospital that i am signing with, that $7k is the only loan that i will have.
that amount of money is not what it will cost the normal student so i don't know if you were able to get some sort of "price break" you mentioned a hospital that gave you scholarship? they gave you $8k in scholarships? that is interesting? my comments were based on your claim of somehow only paying $7k for a program at the minimum has been priced to me and others i know of now at $16k two days ago. then you proceeded to passive aggressively call others or me like me crazy because we are willing to wait for various very good reason. not being motivated by "money." i gave you my opinion about your statements to me and now you have gone lopsided? it is ok for you to become disrespectful to others, but facts laid on the table offends you?
with the quote:
the way i look at it i would lose $80k waiting to get into pv. now that does seem crazy
my apologies, i mistook your above statement as a jab to those of us that are paying tax dollars for those grants along with payment of our own school, when all in all what you are saying is you just have a princess complex.
not to mention the glaring fact that you are zooming through a program that is through a school that was just a muddy field a year ago raises eyebrows on the "ethics" of your position to "make money quick", and the true philosophy behind your motivation to be a nurse. not to mention the obvious exploitation by this school of those students that wish to hurry through the program "quick". yeah, the rep tried to justify one class to me at the tune of $3k (foundations 10 credits) because they were private. i told her i don't care if they think they are private or not. that is crazy. personally i don't care where the teachers come from at nau, if they are party to this type of exploitation they are earning the same reputation in my eyes. i seriously wonder their rationale for this. i don't call that "good nursing" attitude. but who knows, i am a bit of old school when it comes to this, having worked with great nurses and doctors for many years now. i would take an entirely different attitude with you if you were to seem a bit more understanding to the obvious potential implications of this. as i said before, it is good you will transfer to a genuine established college right away.
penn valley used to be the department of education; many, many a solid nurse has come from this program, nurses that are two and three times my age now. no, i don't like the "wait" and searched for alternatives however, it is well worth the wait for many reasons. i know it is a good school, this i don't need to be told.
oh and btw, no your not going to make anything as a lpn in a hospital anymore, those i have spoken with at children's mercy, north kansas city, st lukes etc.. have explained to me the lpn's are now called pcts and carry out basically what the cnas did before. actually, they just told me that things would be changing with the rn situation too, that if you don't have a 4-year degree, you will not be making that kind of money, especially with all the "nursing mills" that are popping up. but that is just what we have heard. but you can right now make very good salaries through geriatrics care as an lpn. several of my friends do, but of course they had to work their way up to those salaries....
Specializes in Pediatrics, NICU, Pediatric Epilepsy.
Great. I have applied to that program as well as I am applying to KU. Like you said before I could be graduating with my BSN at MU in the time it would take for me to even start at PV or KCK.
Great. I have applied to that program as well as I am applying to KU. Like you said before I could be graduating with my BSN at MU in the time it would take for me to even start at PV or KCK.
Good idea. I applied at three different schools with the idea that I would go with whoever called me first. Sad that it's this way huh??
Penn Vally has the highest NCLEX pass rate in the state of MO--just a 411 for you guys. It isnt JUST about how fast you get through the program--its really important to look at the program you are in and if it will get you through boards. GL to all!
remember this is without books, liability insurance, uniforms etc.. for only two years! (i think they have lost their minds!) i think the gen eds will still be $250 per credit but i am not sure, that is how i calculated it! 
chelley101
10 Posts
I was wondering how your experience at NAU is going. I am considering going that route as well. Feel free to PM me.