Stanbridge College LVN Program Students

rena575 · Feb 10, 2011

Hello, I am considering Stanbridge for their part time LVN program, I was wondering how you are liking it and if you feel like you are learning alot. I live in Ontario so it will be quite a commute for me but I feel if its a good school and their program is as good as they prefess then its worth it. I've looked at their passing rates for the NCLEX exam and they look like their students usually pass. Also about how much was your tuition? Ive seen people post that they had to pay $400.00 upfront if their cost of tuition was not completely covered by grants or loans- I know mine wont be. Is there any other upfront out of pocket costs that you're aware of? Im a single mom so unfortunately cost is a bit of a factor. Any information you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

OCstudent1 · Feb 10, 2011

Hello, I am considering Stanbridge for their part time LVN program, I was wondering how you are liking it and if you feel like you are learning alot. I live in Ontario so it will be quite a commute for me but I feel if its a good school and their program is as good as they prefess then its worth it. I've looked at their passing rates for the NCLEX exam and they look like their students usually pass. Also about how much was your tuition? Ive seen people post that they had to pay $400.00 upfront if their cost of tuition was not completely covered by grants or loans- I know mine wont be. Is there any other upfront out of pocket costs that you're aware of? Im a single mom so unfortunately cost is a bit of a factor. Any information you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

Hi! So the $400 cost is to cover the price of the books they will be handing you once your orientation week is over. If your tuition is not going to be totally covered by grants or loans then I'm guessing you will be making monthly payments to the school, but yes this $400 is up front after the week of orientation, seperate from your monthly payment. There is no way around it unless your loan money gets to the school before the $400 is due, then they won't need it, but that generally only happens for those who get loans for the entire tuition. There have not been any other fees up front and I don't think there will be for the rest of the program, but if you know now about the $400 then hopefully you can start saving for it.

I really enjoy the program and have learned a lot so far. No school is perfect, some of the teachers aren't the best at teaching but every single teacher I've had so far wants their students to do well and will do anything they can to help you. They offer free tutoring for theory and math if you need it and the overall attitude from the staff is that they want their students to succeed. The administration isn't perfect, sometimes I do feel as if we are treated like children and that kind of bugs everyone but that issue has never affected my ability to learn or my grades.

They give you a lot of material, and the ATI books and programs are very helpful. Honestly, whether or not you succeed or how well you do really depends on your efforts as a student. You have to be very dedicated to get through the program, you have to put in your time to study for the tests. While some tests may be easier than others you should always study for each one as much as you can. For me personally, I am not paying $30,000 to get through nursing school barely passing with a C. And would you really want that kind of nurse working on you?? But yet somehow there are people that don't take it as seriously and barely skim by passing. But if you are SERIOUS about sacrificing, then I say the money is worth it and you will get out of it what you put in, they definitely provide you with what you need to succeed.

Also, the "one sunday" a month is not entirely the truth. It is what they strive for, but there are a certain amount of hours the school must meet for state purposes and sometimes you will have 2 sundays a month. One month we had 3, and the whole class kind of went haywire over it but it is what it is. I know the past few months it's only been one saturday but just be prepared for that if babysitting is an issue.

The good thing is you have your ENTIRE 2 year schedule available online so you can prepare well ahead of time. Sometimes the weekend schedule will change, but very rarely and only if the teacher is sick or something like that.

The clinical sites are not always in Orange County as well. I know of one in Burbank and another in Torrance, and while they try to keep it local, circumstance sometimes don't allow for that so just be prepared for that as well.

But for me I am very happy with my choice and I feel I am challenged in a good way at this school. Does everyone like it as much as me? No, but then again most of those who have complaint after complaint are doing the worst in their class and are (to be blunt) just lazy.

I hope my really long reply helped! lol. Good luck, there are many single mothers in my class, and while it takes dedication, if you have motivation and a hard work ethic you will do well! :redbeathe

rena575 · Feb 14, 2011

Thanks for replying, that helps me alot. With most vocational schools its hard to determine which ones have a really good program and which dont, from current and former students posts - they vary so much. You just never can tell which post are from students that want to skate by and which are from students that have no problem taking an initative in their own education and doing alot of late night studying and hard work. Once again thanks for your input and good luck reaching your goals :yeah:

OCstudent1 · Feb 22, 2011

No problem, I really hope everything works out for you. I'm glad I could help, I know how nervous I was about making the right decision. Please let me know if you have any more questions.

all4gumby · Mar 2, 2011

I am a current student, I saw that they had a new class starting. Just make sure you read everything, before signing and get everything in writing that they are telling you. As you will notice they have closed circuit video to spy on students, they have written people up for not being in uniform or bringing food or drink in the classroom. They say it is for security, but really I have found it to be more like "Big Brother" spying on us. Good Luck! Remember one day at a time.