Am I figuring Excelsior costs correctly? LPN to RN (associates)

[tifferbugz]

Hi guys! I hope ya'll can help me - I have turned to this board off and on for nearly a decade for all of my alternative credit information so I know how much knowledge abounds here.  'm an obsessive planner and trying to work out what my costs would be if I went through the Excelsior LPN to RN program. I am currently in my LPN program and it requires I live away from my hubby and kiddos for most of the accelerated program - since we live in the boonies and hours from the nearest nursing programs. I would prefer not to live away from them while finishing my RN (and need to work during, too), which is why I'm hoping I can make Excelsior work for me. 

I love CLEPing and hope that between CLEP tests, some prereqs I'm taking through Portage Learning, and filling out with Straighterline, I will only have to take the nursing classes via Excelsior. I have a prior master's degree, and have read that it might get me out of the info literacy requirement, but I'm not sure if that's true.

Figuring on all this, I've come up with the following costs (I plan on the self-study/testing option for all classes I am able to do that for):

Application Fee $50
Enrollment Fee $1095
Nurse Courses/exams (8 courses, if I'm reading it right) $2840
FCCA courses/exams (2 of these?) $760
CPNE (assuming I can pass first try) $2295
Graduation Fee $495
Annual Fee (assuming 2 years) $990
Practice tests for nursing/FCCA courses ($75x10) $750

Total Cost $9275

I know this doesn't include books or other study materials I may need to pass the testing requirements. But am I missing any other costs that you guys see? Am I misreading any requirements on their site (entirely possible!)?

Here is where I'm pulling most of my info from: https://www.excelsior.edu/costs-and-financing/nurses

Thank you all SO much in advance for any help you can provide. I would LOVE to actually be able to be with my family and finish my education, and I think that Excelsior would give me the best option for that. I just need to make sure I can afford it!

Thank you all again! <3

[GoodYellowDogs]

Hi guys! I hope ya'll can help me - I have turned to this board off and on for nearly a decade for all of my alternative credit information so I know how much knowledge abounds here.  'm an obsessive planner and trying to work out what my costs would be if I went through the Excelsior LPN to RN program. I am currently in my LPN program and it requires I live away from my hubby and kiddos for most of the accelerated program - since we live in the boonies and hours from the nearest nursing programs. I would prefer not to live away from them while finishing my RN (and need to work during, too), which is why I'm hoping I can make Excelsior work for me. 

I love CLEPing and hope that between CLEP tests, some prereqs I'm taking through Portage Learning, and filling out with Straighterline, I will only have to take the nursing classes via Excelsior. I have a prior master's degree, and have read that it might get me out of the info literacy requirement, but I'm not sure if that's true.

Figuring on all this, I've come up with the following costs (I plan on the self-study/testing option for all classes I am able to do that for):

Application Fee $50
Enrollment Fee $1095
Nurse Courses/exams (8 courses, if I'm reading it right) $2840
FCCA courses/exams (2 of these?) $760
CPNE (assuming I can pass first try) $2295
Graduation Fee $495
Annual Fee (assuming 2 years) $990
Practice tests for nursing/FCCA courses ($75x10) $750

Total Cost $9275

I know this doesn't include books or other study materials I may need to pass the testing requirements. But am I missing any other costs that you guys see? Am I misreading any requirements on their site (entirely possible!)?

Here is where I'm pulling most of my info from: https://www.excelsior.edu/costs-and-financing/nurses

Thank you all SO much in advance for any help you can provide. I would LOVE to actually be able to be with my family and finish my education, and I think that Excelsior would give me the best option for that. I just need to make sure I can afford it!

Thank you all again! <3

Yes, that is a good estimate.   Most people take a non-afflilated CPNE workshop, but it's not required.   If you are going to do the program there are about 10 Facebook pages that are for that program and/or the CPNE.

[tifferbugz]

Yes, that is a good estimate.   Most people take a non-afflilated CPNE workshop, but it's not required.   If you are going to do the program there are about 10 Facebook pages that are for that program and/or the CPNE.

Thank you SO much! I will definitely keep the CPNE workshop in mind. With waiting periods running around 12 months to take the CPNE after you finish all of your other classes and apply, I'd like to be as prepared as I possibly can be. I'll have a year to study, after all. 

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And thank you for mentioning Facebook groups. I'll look around for those when I get a little closer. I appreciate your help!

[Cheeseburrito]

I'm a paramedic currently doing this program. Just remember only 25% (I think or 30?) Can be from non traditional programs, ie SDC/SL. If you're done A&P and Micro, you'll be good to go. Those costs should be fairly accurate based on my experience thus far.

[tifferbugz]

I'm a paramedic currently doing this program. Just remember only 25% (I think or 30?) Can be from non traditional programs, ie SDC/SL. If you're done A&P and Micro, you'll be good to go. Those costs should be fairly accurate based on my experience thus far.

Thank you so much! I will have A&P I and II from a regionally accredited program, as well as micro. Do you know if the 25/30% requirement includes CLEP?

Thanks for confirming the accuracy of how I’m understand costs - I really appreciate that! How are you liking the program?

[HappyNurse35]

I'm a paramedic currently doing this program. Just remember only 25% (I think or 30?) Can be from non traditional programs, ie SDC/SL. If you're done A&P and Micro, you'll be good to go. Those costs should be fairly accurate based on my experience thus far.

Thank you so much! I will have A&P I and II from a regionally accredited program, as well as micro. Do you know if the 25/30% requirement includes CLEP?

Thanks for confirming the accuracy of how I’m understand costs - I really appreciate that! How are you liking the program?

From my knowledge for the ADN program, only 7 Ace credits can be accepted for non-science courses.

[Cheeseburrito]

I'm a paramedic currently doing this program. Just remember only 25% (I think or 30?) Can be from non traditional programs, ie SDC/SL. If you're done A&P and Micro, you'll be good to go. Those costs should be fairly accurate based on my experience thus far.

Thank you so much! I will have A&P I and II from a regionally accredited program, as well as micro. Do you know if the 25/30% requirement includes CLEP?

Thanks for confirming the accuracy of how I’m understand costs - I really appreciate that! How are you liking the program?

That does not include CLEP. I used 2 of them to fill a humanities and sociology gap, and it's all approved on my portfolio/transcript.

Unfortunately I have spent the first semester of the program patching up holes in their core requirements. I am going to do the AP/Micro Uexcels within the next month, and then I'll be able to get into the nursing core. I should have done more research and had my core completed as I did my BA, but I didn't know I was going to be doing EC's program at the time I was doing my TESU work. C'est la vie.

[tifferbugz]

I'm a paramedic currently doing this program. Just remember only 25% (I think or 30?) Can be from non traditional programs, ie SDC/SL. If you're done A&P and Micro, you'll be good to go. Those costs should be fairly accurate based on my experience thus far.

Thank you so much! I will have A&P I and II from a regionally accredited program, as well as micro. Do you know if the 25/30% requirement includes CLEP?

Thanks for confirming the accuracy of how I’m understand costs - I really appreciate that! How are you liking the program?

That does not include CLEP. I used 2 of them to fill a humanities and sociology gap, and it's all approved on my portfolio/transcript.

Unfortunately I have spent the first semester of the program patching up holes in their core requirements. I am going to do the AP/Micro Uexcels within the next month, and then I'll be able to get into the nursing core. I should have done more research and had my core completed as I did my BA, but I didn't know I was going to be doing EC's program at the time I was doing my TESU work. C'est la vie.

Hindsight is 20/20...all the prereqs I could have gotten while doing my business degree... D: 

Thanks so much for your reply. Best of luck to you! Sounds like you're making progress.

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I'm a paramedic currently doing this program. Just remember only 25% (I think or 30?) Can be from non traditional programs, ie SDC/SL. If you're done A&P and Micro, you'll be good to go. Those costs should be fairly accurate based on my experience thus far.

Thank you so much! I will have A&P I and II from a regionally accredited program, as well as micro. Do you know if the 25/30% requirement includes CLEP?

Thanks for confirming the accuracy of how I’m understand costs - I really appreciate that! How are you liking the program?

From my knowledge for the ADN program, only 7 Ace credits can be accepted for non-science courses.

Thank you!