TCN and EC Cost

Vida · Jan 31, 2007

I too couldnt find much difference when I added it up at first.

I have some of the textbooks and can get some used, which will save alot...but up the college network modules on ebay....people are selling them for less than a quarter of the price.

Anyone know how much it is to cancel my tcn contract?!?!?!!? They wont write me back!

Vida:smiletea2:

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Jan 31, 2007

Beware! The College Network is not an LPN-to-RN program. The College Network is nothing more than an overpriced publishing company engaged in the business of selling materials that eventually lead to an Excelsior College degree. Therefore, Excelsior College is really the school you're dealing with.

Most people are able to earn their LPN-to-RN bridge degree from Excelsior College without going through expensive publishing companies such as the College Network and RUE. Buyer beware!

EricJRN, MSN, RN · Jan 31, 2007

Anyone know how much it is to cancel my tcn contract?!?!?!!? They wont write me back!
Vida:smiletea2:

In reading our members' experiences, this is probably the biggest disadvantage to signing up with a publishing company. Once you sign, it seems that you're stuck.

qtgirl4u04 · Jan 31, 2007

Hi nurse vida grape I live in Buffalo but I have a summer home on the otonabee river,cottage country.

Vida · Jan 31, 2007

Aww - right on. Rock Ottonabee rock - my home.

I am actually living in Utah temporarily, but am hoping to end up in rochester or syracuse permanently. We've been Buffalo many times!

Vida:nuke:

critter1972 · Feb 25, 2007

when you signed up for The College Network, they provide you with a cost estimate that includes the cost of the excelsior fees, right through graduation. plus, you have to initial it when you get started to reflect that you acknowledge all the fees...up front.

Think of TCN as the bookstore.....whether you go directly through Excelsior or not, you still have to buy your study materials which is what TCN provides. Excelsior offers textbooks, TCN offer self contained study guides. So, intead of using 50+ textbooks with Excelsior, you get 13 study guides from TCN....it's your choice. either way, the cost is about the same...give or take a few hundrend dollars.

then, regardless of where you get your study materials, you still have to call Excelsior each time you are ready to take a test, pay EXCELSIOR's testing fee, and then get scheduled for an exam.

the testing fees range from $75 for the basic gen ed courses like Psychology and Sociology, to $190 for Life Span and Mirco, A&P is $280, English is $290 and the nursing courses cost $220.

Then, after you have completed all your general eds and the first nursing course, that's when you enroll with Excelsior. see, excelsior won't tell you that once you enroll, the enrollment fee is only good for 12 months...if you go over, guess what people....it's about $420 to re-enroll each year.

that is why you take your time with the gen eds and the first nursing course....there is NO time limit. then, when you're ready to enroll with EC, it's $75 for the application fee, and once accepted, then you enroll. the enrollment fee is $895, the clinical fee is like $1725 and the grad fee is $495. however, EC offers student loans, scholarships, payment plans, etc....no, you can't get federal financial aid for this, but there's still some funding available.

the degree will cost between $10,000-$12,000 whether you get your study materials from TCN or EC.....it's up to you...it's an individual choice. ask yourself if you have time to study through ALL of those textbooks...or do you want something that is self-contained, breaks in down into chapters with practice exams.....has academic support and provide a tutor IF you fail any exam...well, TCN does that....Excelsior gives you the textbooks and wishes you luck.

now, yes, you sign a contract with TCN, but that still not any different than buying your things from EC. I mean, you can't buy a car, drive it for 5 months and want to change your mind and give it back...and get all your money back. in fact, you can't enroll into excelsior, do half the program and expect to get your money back.

if you sign anything....read it first...come on people. don't blame EC or TCN because you didn't pass a class...you get out of it what you put into it. if you half a$$ study....you won't pass.

oh, and as far as going to ebay and getting the guides...you're going to spend money on a course that you don't even know if it's updated!!!?? wow...then, you'll pay $220 to take a test and not know if you have the most up to date material to pass? wow.....why take the cheap route when it comes to your education.

we are in the nursing field people.....this is one career where we don't want a cheap education!

caliotter3 · Feb 25, 2007

I saw a complete comparison breakdown that somebody went through a lot of trouble constructing. In simple terms: X amt is paid to Rue; Y amt is paid to Excelsior; Z amt is paid for any other study materials or efforts you want to make (books((some people get their study materials completely for free from libraries, it is possible)). X + Y + Z = $ paid. If you don't go through Rue or TCN you take X out of the equation so you end up paying less. It is up to you to make your choices based on the research you gather. Good luck.

DutchgirlRN, ASN, RN · Feb 25, 2007

Excelsior offers textbooks, TCN offer self contained study guides. So, intead of using 50+ textbooks with Excelsior, you get 13 study guides from TCN....it's your choice. either way, the cost is about the same...give or take a few hundrend dollars.

I graduated from EC and didn't purchase 50+ textbooks. I used less than 10 textbooks. I bought them really cheap from www.half.com

I purchased the first text listed for each class. I bought the edition just prior to the one listed and the textbooks were $5.00 - $12.00. Many of them are used for more than one class. The older editions were just as up to date with the information needed. I used the free EC study guides. I looked up each item in the text and wrote it in a spiral notebook and when done that was my study guide. JMHO: I feel I got a better education by looking everything up and writting it down rather than just memorizing a study guide. I had to take a years break and did'nt owe anybody anything. No contracts. I got through very economically. Passed NCLEX without a problem and have functioned very well with my EC education. No one even cares how you got your RN just that you have it.

I bought a tape recorder and taped the contents of my spiral notebook and played it in the car and at night while lying in bed. I think that really helped too. When testing I could literally hear myself answering the question in my own voice. I read somewhere that even if you fall asleep with a tape running your brain continues to take in the info. I made A's and B's on all of my exams. Mostly A's. Ethics was by far the hardest for me. Good Luck!

critter1972 · Feb 25, 2007

you can go directly to Excelsior's website and count how many Textbooks you need. for just the six nursing courses, there are a total of 24 textbooks.

I don't know how long ago you did the program, but there have been a lot of changes with the program in just last five years. they used to be known as Commonalities A and B, Differences A B and C...now they are called something completely different.

this just goes to show that people do what works best for them.

The cost is about the same if you know anything about the cost of textbooks now a days...

after you add up the testing fees, the enrollment, clinical and graduation.....those are fees regardless of where you get your study materials....and again, the cost for the study materials are about the same...give or take a few hundred dollars.

my question is "how long did it take you to get through one course by using the textbooks, writing things down and recording your voice, and whatever else you did?

With the College Network guides....if you put an hour a day into studying, you should be taking an exam every 4-6 weeks. My girlfriend, co-worker at work did 8 of the courses in three months and passed everyone with an A!

The info was right to the point, she had the academic support from The College network and could call them anytime during their 15 hours of support.

I don't want to try to explain why i am doing it this way...it was my choice...just like it is for you.

Everyone gets out of it what they put into it. You pay for what you get. Getting your degree is worth it. so what if you spend $10,000-$12,000 for the EC/The College Network program...first, it's going to cost you about the same anyway....and you're getting a degree that will allow you to get paid for what you do.....so, spend the money, get it done because once you start making that money in the first full year of employment, you'll be able to pay of any loan early without any penalities....well, at least through The college network....

good luck

DutchgirlRN, ASN, RN · Feb 25, 2007

you can go directly to Excelsior's website and count how many Textbooks you need. for just the six nursing courses, there are a total of 24 textbooks.

There were at least a total of 50 textbooks listed when I went through, as I said I only bought the first one listed for each class and for several classes it was the same textbook so it was used up to 3 times without having to buy a new book.

this just goes to show that people do what works best for them.

Yes, that's what it all boils down to. What works best for the individual. I was on a very limited income and my method worked well for me and I wanted to share it. It was not that I was trying to be cheap.

my question is "how long did it take you to get through one course by using the textbooks, writing things down and recording your voice, and whatever else you did?

4-6 weeks each. I studied 3-4 hours per day at first and then just listened to my tapes.

Everyone gets out of it what they put into it. You pay for what you get. Getting your degree is worth it. spend the money, get it done because once you start making that money in the first full year of employment, you'll be able to pay of any loan early without any penalities....well, at least through The college network....

It's the best thing I've ever done for myself. If you can't pay for TCN you can do it much cheaper. Maybe not easier but certainly cheaper and I had no penalties after graduation because I had to loan to pay off. That's just my side of it. Everyone has to do what's best for them but should know the different options available.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Feb 25, 2007

wow.....why take the cheap route when it comes to your education.
we are in the nursing field people.....this is one career where we don't want a cheap education!

If one accredited RN-BSN program has a tuition of $10,000 and another accredited BSN program has a tuition of $60,000, I am definitely going to opt for the cheaper program. In other words, I would take the cheap route to obtaining an education without much hesitation. Millions of good nurses have obtained their nursing educations from cheap community colleges, diploma programs, and state university BSN programs.

There is nothing wrong with cheaply obtaining your nursing education. After all, we obtain the exact same licensure, regardless of the dollars spent on our nursing programs.