State Info:
Kentucky, the Bluegrass State and member of the Commonwealth, is a great place to become an LPN. The medical industry has been growing and will continue to do so. In the medical industry in Kentucky you will have job security and peace of mind. The best way to get started is to do one of the many 1 year LPN programs offered by the state. Not only will you be able to work in the medical industry while earning a great salary, you will also be able to use your LPN qualification as a stepping stone to greater things.
Licensing Requirements
In order to become licensed as an LPN you will need to complete and LPN program in order to qualify for a program you must:
- Be older than 18
- Have a high school diploma
- Pass a basic academic test
The program you then enroll in must be accredited by the Kentucky State Board of Nursing or else you will not be able to become licensed.
Once you have completed the training that will take about 1 year you will then have to pass the NCLEX-PN examination. Once you have passed you will be licensed to practice as an LPN in the state of Kentucky.
Exam Fee
In order to become an LPN you will have to write the NCLEX-PN exam, which you will have to pay a fee for. Once you have written the exam there are also other fees that you will have to pay in order to become certified.
- To apply for the exam you will have to pay $110 to the Kentucky State Board of Nursing
- You will then have to pay $200 to Pearson Vue, the company in charge of administering the NCLEX-PN examination
- You will need to apply for the criminal background check at a cost of $10
- To renew your license periodically will cost you $50
Kentucky is part of the Licensure Compact, which means that you can transfer to Kentucky and start working immediately provided you are transferring from one of the other 23 states that belong to the compact.
Salaries
| Program |
Hourly Rate |
Annual Rate |
| LPN | $15.19 | $31250 |
| RN | $27.81 | $57842 |
| BSN | $30 | $63,876 |
Financial Aid Available
If you want to get your LPN qualification in order to improve your job prospects, but are daunted by the fees that you will have to pay in order to do so, don’t forget that there are plenty of financial aid resources available in the state of Kentucky to help you pay for your LPN qualification. There is not need to give up on your goals and ambitions simply because you don’t have the money. In fact in many cases you may be able to study at absolutely no cost to yourself.
The first thing that you will need to do is to apply to FAFSA. In order to do this you will have to fill in the FAFSA form and send it back. Once you have done this you will receive feedback after a few days based on the answers that you filled in the form. This feedback will comprise a list of which grants and loans you are eligible to apply for. Grants are more financially beneficial as you will never have to pay the money back, so if you are given a list of grants these should take priority over any loans that you are informed of. This is because loans do need to be paid back and they usually accrue interest. Grants are often needs based, so the more financially disadvantaged you are the higher your chance of getting the grant. Loans are easier to get than grants, but need t be paid back. Federal loans are the hardest to get but have good interest rates, while private loans are easier to qualify for but have much higher interest rates. In some cases you may have to get a loan even if you have been given a grant as grants do not always cover the complete costs of your studies.
There is also the option of applying for the various scholarships that are available in Kentucky. Scholarships, like grants, do not need to be repaid but they can be difficult to get as they serve as a sort of a reward for outstanding academic achievement. This means you have to be at the top academically in order to qualify. Nursing schools as well as private sources offer scholarships, and you can’t lose anything by applying.
If you are already employed as a CNA then you may be able to apply to your employer for help. You would be surprised at how many employers are more than happy to help their employees upgrade their qualifications in return for which they continue to work for their employer as a qualified LPN for a set period of time. This works out well for everyone. Your employer gets a health care professional who already knows the ropes, and you don’t have to look for a job straight after your studies. You will also be able to get some valuable experience to put on your resume.
Some colleges also offer work and study programs whereby you work on campus and generate income in order to cover your costs. This cannot be given to everyone, obviously, but it is worth applying.
There are a number of loan forgiveness programs available in Kentucky. In these situations a portion of your loan will be dealt with for you in exchange for which you will work for a set period of time in a non profit organization. This is a good option to keep in mind when it comes time to repay your loans.
List of Schools
There are a large number of schools in the state of Kentucky for you to choose from when deciding where to get your LPN qualification. The important thing is that you make sure that the school is approved and accredited by the Kentucky State Board of Nursing or else you will be wasting both your time and your money by pursuing a qualification with that school. Below is a list of the LPN schools available in Kentucky along with the contact details that you will need in order to make your own inquiries into the suitability of the school for you personally.
Ashland Community & Technical College
4818 Roberts Drive, Ashland, KY 41102
(606) 326-2462
http://www.ashland.kctcs.edu
ATA Career Education
10180 Linn Station Road, Suite A-200, Louisville KY 40223
502-371-8330, ext. 364
http://www.ata.edu
Beckfield College
16 Spiral Drive, Florence KY 41042
(859) 371-9393
http://www.beckfield.edu
Big Sandy Community & Technical College
513 Third Street, Paintsville, KY 41240
(606) 788-2821
http://bigsandy.kctcs.edu/programs/health_occupations/diploma_programs.html
Bluegrass Community & Technical College – Leestown Campus
164 Opportunity Way, Lexington, KY 40511-2623
(859) 246-6731
http://www.bluegrass.kctcs.edu/nursing/practical_nursing_lpn/
Bluegrass Community & Technical College – Danville Campus
59 Corporate Drive, Danville, KY 40422
(859) 239-7030; (859) 246-6868
http://www.bluegrass.kctcs.edu/nursing/practical_nursing_lpn/
Bowling Green Technical College – Glasgow Campus
129 State Avenue, Glasgow, KY 42141
(270) 651-5673
http://www.bowlinggreen.kctcs.edu/ghc/
Bowling Green Technical College-Glasgow, Bowling Green Ext.
1845 Loop Drive, Bldg. J., Bowling Green KY 42101
(270) 901-1080 or (270) 901-1201
http://www.bowlinggreen.kctcs.edu/pnhomebg.php
Brown Mackie College – Louisville
3605 Fern Valley Road, Louisville KY 40219
(502) 968-7191
http://www.brownmackie.com
Brown Mackie College – Northern Kentucky
309 Buttermilk Pike, Ft. Mitchell, KY 41017
(859) 341-5627
http://www.brownmackie.com
Elizabethtown Community & Technical College
620 College Street Road, Elizabethtown, KY 42701
(270) 769-2371, Ext. 68646
http://www.elizabethtown.kctcs.edu
Galen College of Nursing
1031 Zorn Avenue, Louisville KY 40207
(502) 410-6200
http://www.galencollege.edu
Gateway Community & Technical College
790 Thomas More Parkway, Edgewood, KY 41017
(859) 442-4150
http://www.gateway.kctcs.edu
Hazard Community & Technical College
101 Vo-Tech Drive, Hazard, KY 41701
(606) 487-3289
http://www.hazard.kctcs.edu
Henderson Community College
2660 South Green Street, Henderson, KY 42420-4699
(270) 831-9726
http://www.hencc.kctcs.edu/academics/programs
Hopkinsville Community College
North Drive, P. O. Box 2100, Hopkinsville, KY 42240-2100
(270) 707-3840
http://www.hopkinsville.kctcs.edu
Jefferson Community & Technical College
800 W. Chestnut St., Bldg. A, Suite 200, Louisville, KY 40203
(502) 213-4232
http://www.jefferson.kctcs.edu
Madisonville Community College
MCC Health Campus, 750 North Laffoon Street, Madisonville, KY 42431
(270) 824-7552
http://www.madcc.kctcs.edu
Maysville Community & Technical College
1755 US 68, Maysville, KY 41056
(606) 759-7141, Ext, 6231
http://www.maycc.kctcs.edu
Maysville Community & Technical College – Cynthiana Ext.
319 Webster Avenue, Cynthiana, KY 41031
(859) 234-8626, Ext, 66338
http://www.maysville.kctcs.edu
Maysville Community & Technical College – Mt. Sterling
640 Woodford Drive, Mt. Sterling, KY 40353
(859) 398-5959
http://www.maysville.kctcs.edu
Maysville Community & Technical College – Rowan Campus
609 Viking Drive, Morehead, KY 40351
(606) 783-1538, Ext. 66338
http://www.maysville.kctcs.edu
Owensboro Community & Technical College
4800 New Hartford Road, Owensboro, KY 42303
(270) 686-4549
Somerset Community College – Albany Ext. (Clinton Co.)
Clinton Center, 1001 West Hwy. 90, Rt. 4 Box 428 C, Albany, KY 42602
(606) 451-6813
http://www.somerset.kctcs.edu
Somerset Community College
808 Monticello Street, Somerset, KY 42501
(606) 451-6813
http://www.somerset.kctcs.edu
Somerset Community College – Laurel Campus South
235 South Laurel Road, London, KY 40744
(606) 451-6813
http://www.somerset.kctcs.edu
Southeast Kentucky Community & Technical College
700 College Street, Cumberland, KY 40823
(606) 589-3096
http://www.secc.kctcs.edu/AcademicAffairs/AlliedHealth/Nursing/default.htm
Spencerian College
4627 Dixie Highway, Louisville, KY 40216
(502) 447-1000, Ext. 7808
http://www.spencerian.edu
West Kentucky Community & Technical College
4810 Alben Barkley Drive, Paducah KY 42001
(270) 534-3460
http://nursing.westkentucky.kctcs.edu
