State Info:
Arkansas provides a great deal of opportunities for study in the healthcare arena. This state situated in southern US and sharing its borders with six other states is a great place to get your LPN qualification. The courses provided in Arkansas are fantastic bridging programs that will eventually help you in becoming an RN, a very wise step to take after qualifying as an LPN.
Licensing Requirements
Firstly, to get into an LPN program in Arkansas you will need to have received good grades academically at a previous institution. The topics however can be varied. If you have done well in high school, for example, you stand a good chance of being allowed to enter an LPN program in Arkansas. In order to be licensed as an LPN you will need to have successfully completed an LPN program that is accredited by the State Board of Nursing in Arkansas. This means that it is essential that you ensure that the school you are hoping to study with is accredited otherwise you will be wasting your time and money. Once you have received this essential LPN training over a period of one to two years you will then be required to write the relevant exam. Once you have successfully passed the exam you will then be licensed to practice nursing in the state of Arkansas.
Exam Fee
There are various fees that you will have to pay in order to successfully become licensed as an LPN in Arkansas:
- Examination fee in the state of Arkansas: $200
- Fee for background check performed by the Arkansas state board of nursing: $75
- Renewal fee to be paid once every two years in the state of Arkansas: $65 (you will also have to provide evidence that you have completed 15 hours of continuous education in that time in order to renew your LPN license)
It is important to note that Arkansas is a member of the National Licensure Compact which means that you will be able to practice in this state with a license that you have received in one of the other 23 states that belong to the compact. If you come from a state that does not belong to the compact you will still be able to apply for a transfer.
Salaries
| Program | Hourly Rate | Annual Rate |
| LPN | $13.52 | $28140 |
| RN | $27.08 | $56314 |
| BSN | $30 | $63,876 |
Financial Aid Available
Many people who would love to get their LPN qualification feel that they are held back by financial constraints. However, in the state of Arkansas there are several avenues open to you in terms of getting financial aid. For example, if you are a veteran or a family member of a veteran you will be eligible for the American Legion Auxiliary Scholarship. To receive this scholarship you need to have resided in Arkansas for at least one year before applying. This scholarship can be applied for any school that the scholarship committee approves of. Ensure that the school you are interested in studying at s accredited by the scholarship committee before applying for this fantastic scholarship. If you are not eligible for this scholarship there are plenty others out there. Both online and face-to face schools offer scholarships to their students so it is simply a matter of looking around to find the best situation for you.
Don’t be shy to ask about nursing scholarships when inquiring at schools. The field of nursing is growing rapidly making it far more likely that schools will be open to the idea of giving out scholarships in order to account for the increasing demand. You may even be eligible for state aid. It is essential that you explore all of your options when thinking of ways to finance your LPN studies. There will be something out there for you and if you are very lucky you will be able to complete your studies without having to pay a penny yourself. If you are already working in the healthcare industry as a CNA or in some other capacity, then your employer may be willing to pay for your LPN training. Because of the increasing need for qualified LPNs, most employers would gladly help any of their employees who express interest in improving their qualifications. You will most likely have to work for that employer as an LPN for a set amount of time to make up for the financial help. However, this is far from being and inconvenience. It means that you will not have to hunt for a job once you have completed your training and you will have experience under your belt when you do decide to move on to a different employer. In some cases your employer may not provide you with the full amount you need in order to successfully complete your training, but if this is the case then you should be easily able to fund the rest of your studies by applying for grants. Arkansas also has a Workforce Investment Act which will be willing to help you study at one of the approved schools. The schools that are covered by this act are:
Arkansas State University-Beebe Address:
1000 Iowa Street
Beebe, AR – 72012
Arkansas Tech University LPN Program Address:
Administration Bldg 200; 1506 N Bou
Russellville, AR – 72801
Black River Technical College Address:
1410 Hwy 304 East
Pocahontas, AR – 72455
Crowleys Ridge Technical Institute LPN Course Address:
1620 Newcastle Road
Forrest City, AR – 72335
North Arkansas College Address:
1515 Pioneer Dr
Harrison, AR – 72601
Pulaski Technical College Address:
3000 W Scenic Dr
North Little Rock, AR – 72118
University of Arkansas LPN Training Program-Fort Smith Address:
5210 Grand Ave
Fort Smith, AR – 72913
Arkansas State University-Newport Address:
7648 Victory Blvd
Newport, AR – 72112
Arkansas State University-Mountain Home Address:
1600 South College Street
Mountain Home, AR – 72653
Ouachita Technical College Address:
One College Cir
Malvern, AR – 72104
List of Schools
There are a number of schools that you will be able to choose form in the state of Arkansas. However, when making your selection make sure that the school you choose to study with is in fact accredited by the state board of nursing before you begin your program. If not you may find that you have wasted your time and money on a program that gets you nowhere. The LPN schools in Arkansas are as follows:
[edu-search]onlinelpn_state010101082691/ar[/edu-search]
ARKANSAS NORTHEASTERN COLLEGE-BURDETTE
P. O. Box 36 (Hwy. 148 & I-55)
Burdette, AR 72321
Phone: (870) 780-1225; FAX (870) 763-1496
www.anc.edu
ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY-MT. HOME
1600 South College
Mt. Home, Arkansas 72653
Phone: (870) 508-6154; FAX (870) 508-6287
www.asumh.edu
ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY-NEWPORT
7648 Victory Boulevard
Newport, AR 72112
Phone: (870) 512-7833;
FAX (870) 512-7715
www.asun.edu
ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY-BEEBE
P. O. Box 909
Searcy, AR 72145
Phone: (501) 207-4035;
FAX (501) 268-0263
www.asub.edu
AR STATE UNIVERSITY TECHNICAL CENTER
5504 Krueger Rd.
Jonesboro, AR 72401
Phone: (870) 932-2176;
FAX (870) 972-0801
www.asutc.org
ARKANSAS VALLEY TECHNICAL INSTITUTE OF ARKANSAS TECH UNIVERSITY
P. O. Box 506
Ozark, AR 72949-0506
Phone: (479) 667-2117, ext.336;
FAX (479) 667-2106
www.atuoc.atu.edu
SCHOOL OF PRACTICAL NURSING
11900 Colonel Glenn Road
Little Rock, AR 72210-2820
www.baptisthealthschools.org
BLACK RIVER TECHNICAL COLLEGE
P. O. Box 468
Pocahontas, AR 72455
www.blackrivertech.edu
NORTH ARKANSAS COLLEGE
1515 Pioneer Ridge Drive
Harrison, AR 72601
www.northark.edu
SOUTHARK COMMUNITY COLLEGE
P. O. Box 7010
El Dorado, Arkansas 71731-7010
Phone: (870) 862-8131 – X 228;
www.southark.edu
SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS COLLEGE
1900 Hazel Street
Pine Bluff, AR 71603
www.seark.org
U of A COMMUNITY COLLEGE – BATESVILLE
P. O. Box 3350
Batesville, AR 72503
www.uaccb.edu
U of A COMMUNITY COLLEGE – HOPE
2500 S. Main
Hope, Arkansas 71801
www.uacch.edu
U of A COMMUNITY COLLEGE – MORRILTON
1537 University Blvd.
Morrilton, AR 72110
www.uaccm.edu
UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT FT. SMITH
P. O. Box 3649
Fort Smith, AR 72913
www.uafortsmith.edu
COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY – CROSSETT
1326 Hwy. 52W
Crossett, AR 71635
Phone: (870) 364-6414, X 155; FAX (870) 364-5707
www.uamont.edu/uamctc
COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY-MCGEHEE
P. O. Box 620
Dermott, AR 71638
Phone: (870) 538-0248; FAX (870) 538-5666
www.uamont.edu/mcgehee
NORTHWEST TECHNICAL INSTITUTE
P. O. Drawer 2000
Springdale, AR 72765
Phone: (479) 751-8824, X-115;
FAX (479) 751-7780
www.nti.tec.ar.us
OUACHITA TECHNICAL COLLEGE
#1 College Circle
Malvern, AR 72104
Phone: (501) 337-5000, X-1201;
Fax (501) 467-3680
www.otc.tec.ar.us
OZARKA COLLEGE
P. O. Box 10
Melbourne, AR 72556
Phone: (870) 368-7371;
FAX (870) 368-4733
www.ozarka.edu
PCCUA -DeWitt Campus
P. O. Box 427
DeWitt, AR 72042
Phone: (870) 946-3506 x 1612;
FAX (870) 946-2644
www.pccua.edu
PULASKI TECHNICAL COLLEGE
3000 West Scenic DriveNorth
Little Rock, AR 72118
Phone: (501) 812-2286; FAX (501) 812-2391
www.pulaskitech.edu
RICH MOUNTAIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE
1100 College Drive
Mena, AR 71953
Phone: (479) 394-7622, X-1366;
FAX (479) 394-2828
www.rmcc.edu
ST. VINCENT HEALTH SYSTEM SCHOOL OF PRACTICAL NURSING
#2 St. Vincent Circle
Little Rock, AR 72205
Phone: (501) 552-4892;
FAX (501) 552-4236
www.stvincenthealth.com/pn_school/index,html
There are many options open to you in the state of Arkansas and you should be able to easily find a way to study to become an LPN. It is very important that you consider all of the above mentioned aspects when looking for a school in Arkansas and when deciding which school is best for you.
