Seeking Advice RN to BSN programs

Editorial Team / Moderator · Mar 24, 2019

What about your state universities? Many schools have online RN-to-BSN programs and you can't beat the in-state tuition.

JLBSN55, BSN · Mar 24, 2019

Now the ADN program teaches you more skill and basic nursing knowledge, and the BSN teaches more about leadership, critical thinking and looking at a patient differently, more of a whole. I agree, in state universities will have a lower cost than out of state. I do not know where you currently live or want to go to school, but I got my BSN through University of Texas Arlington and the price that was advertised for tuition was the actual price that I paid, not a cent more. The price did not include textbooks, but I do not remember ever paying more than $100 for any and you can always buy used or rent the book. I really did learn a great deal from BSN and was not real time consuming. while working full time job and having two kids, I completed it in less than a year.

RobertJo, ADN, RN · Mar 30, 2019

On 3/24/2019 at 9:45 AM, Pixie.RN said:
What about your state universities? Many schools have online RN-to-BSN programs and you can't beat the in-state tuition.

You're absolutely right. I started looking into more traditional brick and mortor schools and a lot of them have online programs.

NooNieNursie · Apr 3, 2019

On 3/24/2019 at 12:31 PM, JLRN5555 said:
Now the ADN program teaches you more skill and basic nursing knowledge, and the BSN teaches more about leadership, critical thinking and looking at a patient differently, more of a whole. I agree, in state universities will have a lower cost than out of state. I do not know where you currently live or want to go to school, but I got my BSN through University of Texas Arlington and the price that was advertised for tuition was the actual price that I paid, not a cent more. The price did not include textbooks, but I do not remember ever paying more than $100 for any and you can always buy used or rent the book. I really did learn a great deal from BSN and was not real time consuming. while working full time job and having two kids, I completed it in less than a year.

I posted a similar comment in another thread, but i want to repeat this message so people dont waste time I did, researching UTA and paying for their transcript, or worst, $100 application fee.

UTA's 9 month/9k program requires *extensive* prerequisite education a basic ADN WILL.NOT.HAVE. If your only schooling after high school was ADN, you will need to take at least 30 credits in prerequisites, ON TOP of the 30 credit nursing portion. You will be in school, 1.5-2 years, you will pay nearly 18k in tuition credit hours alone.

Additionally, while low cost per credit hour ($275), the UTA prerequisite requirements, are MUCH higher than any other online BSN program like say, ohio state. The ohio state non-nursing/lower level prerequisites are totally reasonable, and comparable to chamberlain. You will likely need 5 classes/15 credits from this menu, for typical ADN with no prior education, in addition to the 30 credit higher level nursing classes. At 380 per credit hour, that works out to about 17k and maybe 18 months (2 semesters for your 5 prerequisites; 4 semesters for your 30 credit higher nursing courses).

Sadly i missed deadline to sign up for ohio's summer session, and i would have to wait until fall, and i don't want to waste any further time, so, chamberlain @ 26k for their 45 credits it is.

I've been posting these replies for other overwhelmed ADN students to save their time. I saw so many people on this website talking about these state school online programs "finish in 1 year; finish in 9 months" and bragging how they did this. I don't know if all these people have a prior college education and went to ADN school for some reason instead of doing a bachelors bridge program in the first place, but this is totally unrealistic for a standard issue ADN RN who has no prior higher education OTHER than their ADN. You *will* need to take at *least* 45 credits total, if not MORE, and you *will* need to be in school 1.5 years, maybe more if you choose a bloated program like UTA.

For these reasons i'm going with chamberlain, which is upfront, direct, no filler, designed truly for the ADN RN who has no other education. I have colleagues who completed the RN-BSN option and have nothing but positive reviews of how friendly it is; i cannot comment on their brick and mortar education or their APN programs. The RN-BSN option seems a very practical choice if you value completing quickly for a straightforward ADN prepared RN without prior education, BUT don't want to go to a pass/fail sketchy school like WGU that would bring my 3.9 GPA to 3.5 or something.

It is more expensive, but not THAT much more expensive, when you really research how much *time* it will take to complete at traditional state schools. That time represents APN salary gained.

So, prattling too long

Writing to save others the agita i went through past few days/weeks.

TRADITIONAL.ADN.WILL.NOT. finish at a state school in a year or less, that is a dream. I would say avoid UTA all together as their lower level prereqs are pretty extensive and ridiculous compared to many other state schools as well.

ILoveHorsesRN, ADN · Apr 4, 2019

I just signed up with Aspen University for RN-BSN program online. They have been very easy and helpful to sign up with. They offer an interest free private loan for $250/month for 43 months. Total cost is around $10,750. Not including books. I will also get tuition reimbursement from my employer of $2500/year. I couldn't pass this up. Even though I am scared to death! I graduated in 1989. Yikes. I will take 10 courses, each one is 8 weeks long. Then there is a proctored exam at the end to graduate, it's 60 questions multiple choice and open book. They do not have tests until the last one. I will start 4/16. Classes start every 2 weeks. I highly recommend looking into them!

www.aspen.edu

jlmcgrot · Apr 5, 2019

On 4/3/2019 at 3:35 AM, NooNieNursie said:
I don't know if all these people have a prior college education and went to ADN school for some reason instead of doing a bachelors bridge program in the first place, but this is totally unrealistic for a standard issue ADN RN who has no prior higher education OTHER than their ADN.

From my perspective, the accelerated programs don't really look that accelerated. For example, I have a Bachelors degree in another field and have some nursing prereqs knocked out. My well respected local state school has an ABSN program, but it requires quite a bit more prereqs to apply than the local community/Tech college (also a well respected ADN program). I already have enough prereqs to apply for the Tech college, so assuming I get in, I estimate that it would be the quickest route for me to actually start working, making money, and then letting my employer assist with the BSN portion.

I know this is somewhat unrelated, but it's just what I've found. ABSN really only seems accelerated if you were already a science major or just happened to take a bunch of nursing/science prereqs because you were undecided.

Jason

Allnaturalnurse · Jan 2, 2020

On 4/4/2019 at 1:24 AM, ILoveHorsesRN said:
I just signed up with Aspen University for RN-BSN program online. They have been very easy and helpful to sign up with. They offer an interest free private loan for $250/month for 43 months. Total cost is around $10,750. Not including books. I will also get tuition reimbursement from my employer of $2500/year. I couldn't pass this up. Even though I am scared to death! I graduated in 1989. Yikes. I will take 10 courses, each one is 8 weeks long. Then there is a proctored exam at the end to graduate, it's 60 questions multiple choice and open book. They do not have tests until the last one. I will start 4/16. Classes start every 2 weeks. I highly recommend looking into them!
www.aspen.edu

can you give me an update? How do you like Aspen? Considering starting..