Nursing is a wonderful career because it fulfills the needs of caring people who want to devote their time and energy towards helping people in physical and emotional need. Another benefit is that with LPN tuition behind you, you will have numerous employment opportunities opened up for you in the different medical fields, and in fact the US Bureau for Labor Statistics predicts that by 2016 the demand for LPN positions will be at an all time high.
Graduates of LPN schools will take the Practical Nursing State Licensing examination which will equip them completely to enter the workplace. Finding approved LPN Programs as well as LPN online tuition can be tricky if you don’t know where to start looking. Fortunately there are websites that serve as an excellent resources for finding quality state approved schools. Not only do these sites offer detailed information about the college, you will also be able to discover what the marks and pass rates of the college have been, as this can be an indication of the quality of education you can expect.
Pin Point Your Location of Study
A number of schools offer online classes, but you just need to remember that a licensed practical nursing program requires that you also get training in a live clinical setting. For convenience, some of these nursing colleges provide maps where you can find LPN nursing programs, and all it requires is for you to place your mouse over the location markers and then you will be able to see the name of the school it represents.
The Helene Fuld College of Nursing in New York for instance as well as the Bronx Community College are just two of many colleges that offer an LPN to Registered Nurse program, and all students who are US citizens or who are eligible non-citizens are able to qualify for admission. To qualify, the student should also hold a high school diploma, a LPN license and also have a year of LPN working experience behind them.
Accreditation and Fees Important Aspects
An important aspect about LPN tuition is the college’s accreditation because this will determine the quality of the education, while considering the fee structure of an LPN school is another important aspect. The programs offered at LPN schools as well as LPN online tuition will enable these nurses to assist doctors in carrying out a range of exciting and responsible tasks. You need to first get your GED. GED stands for General Educational Development and is the equivalent of a high school diploma, which is called a GED certificate. With a GED behind you, you will feel a sense of accomplishment simply because it is the path to college and certainly to LPN tuition.
You get nursing schools that will offer their LPN programs over the weekends or during the evening to cater for those who find it difficult to attend class during the day, and students can also get to choose the program length to complete the course. The demand for Licensed Practical Nurses is a reality, and it is important that any student wanting to become an LPN should do some research and look for the best LPN schools so that they can be assured of quality education.
For information and advice about practical nursing, you can contact:
- National League for Nursing, New York: www.nln.org
- National Association for Practical Nurse Education and Service, Alexandria, VA: www.napnes.org
LPN Tuition Fees
Sometimes you are lucky and can get away with having to lay out a reasonable amount of money for your training, whereas some colleges will ask for around $20,000 to complete a program. Many times however, the cost of the LPN will include all the equipment you need for the training.
If you want to immediately start working in the field while doing your LPN training, you can become a certified nursing assistant which allows you to earn a living while you train to become an LPN. The practical nursing curriculum is always different from state to state, but the core courses are basically the same. You can also opt to go right into an LPN program with a high school diploma, and upon completion, you will need to pass state licensure exams in order to be employed by a hospital for instance. Once you become an LPN, you will be supervised by a registered nurse.
Financial Aid Packages
With LPN tuition, the bottom line is that the cost of your education should never stop you from training to become a LPN. Start working towards your goals while you are still in high school, and if you work hard and are talented, you can apply for scholarships at colleges that offer LPN programs. Sometime you can qualify for scholarships if you are a single mom or dad. A financial aid package can help you cover the cost of your training. You can also apply for low-interest loans that will only need to be paid back once you have graduated from college.
Your Quality LPN Tuition Opens Lucrative Doors
When you are looking towards becoming an LPN you will first go through a one year to eighteen month long LPN program for which you will need to do a test which is known as the National Council Licensure Examination – Practical Nurse – NCLEX-PN. Some of the subjects that you will need to include are anatomy, biology, emergency medical technology, psychology, first aid, food and nutrition, physical education as well as child growth and development. You will be able to attend any school or hospital that offers these LPN programs, or you can opt to get your LPN degree online, which many students opt to do when their circumstances do no allow them to attend a college.
Some well known names of excellent LPN schools are:
- The Salter School of Nursing and Allied Health
- Carrington College
- Everest Institute
- Fortis College
To become licensed to practice, you must complete a state-approved LPN training program, and if you need to find out more about this you can contact your particular state’s board of nursing for a list of approved programs. These approved programs are accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission, also known as NLNAC, and there are some one hundred and fifty of these accredited LPN programs.
Obtaining your LPN Degree Online
Before you even consider doing your LPN training online, students need to make dead sure that all online schools and colleges need to be accredited with the Distance Education Training Council, also known as DETC, which means they can offer certified programs. Every state has their own set of rules and regulations for LPN tuition, but you will have to be a high school graduate or have an equivalent GED wherever you are.
For some people it can be difficult finding the time to complete nursing training, whether certificate, diploma or degree, by attending classes in college or university, but with the popularity and growth in online education programs, it can be a fantastic alternative to become a Licensed Practical Nurse through an accredited online program. The Internet can be used to find the right LPN course and reviews will often give you an idea about the better and safer choices for doing your tuition online. These online programs offer the flexibility to continue your regular job while completing your education which sometimes means over the weekends or in the evenings. Some students just don’t have the means to commute to a college every day, particularly when there is no program being offered in their area, and they appreciate making use of LPN online tuition.
The quality of online programs is equal to that of colleges and universities, and completing your education online has many benefits.
Some of the best online schools offering online accredited degree programs in the field of nursing are:
- Indiana State University
- Kaplan University Online
- University of Phoenix
- Liberty University
- Grand Canyon University
- Walden University
One of the disadvantages with online LPN tuition is that you don’t get your practical training online, and to qualify, you will have to get some practical, hands on training, so while you are studying online, you will have to look elsewhere to get your practical training. Also, anyone who is not disciplined may battle to set aside time to study, and this can be difficult for students who will still need to submit coursework and regular assignments. Online study is self-driven, and if you are not disciplined, attending an LPN college may be better for you.
Just as it is with a regular college, it is mandatory for online LPN students to also complete the NCLEX-LPN examination once they have completed their certificate or diploma. Without passing the examination, students will not be able to get certification and won’t be able to practice.
Free Online LPN Classes
Universities participating in the OpenCourseWare project offer free online LPN classes which cover the fundamentals of nursing practice. Amongst universities that offer these free LPN classes through the OCW project are Kaplan University as well as the University of Massachusetts. Topics included in this course includes things like health care cost management, nursing practice, legal issues and others.
While the general cost of LPN tuition hovers currently around $10,000, once again the fees can differ from state to state and circumstance to circumstance. Community colleges are thought to be able to offer the most reasonably priced LPN tuition . Some tuition fees include the cost of books, medical exams, study guides and medical equipment etc and the costs of examinations fees will also need to be taken into account.
Free LPN Tuition
There are a number of options available to free you from financial responsibilities around your nursing school tuition. There are a number of scholarship and grant programs that are available for LPN students. FAFSA or the Free Application for Federal Student Aid is offered by the US Department of Education to all students who are battling to find the funds for training, and they can apply for student aid. State nursing grants don’t have to be paid back, and each state offers different programs and different amounts of money. The money to be awarded will depend on the availability of funds as well as the required amount of aid required.
Grants and Scholarships
To find out more about how these grants and LPN scholarships can benefit you, the American Association of College of Nursing is a fantastic help, providing valuable advice and information. There are a number of colleges and universities that have scholarship and grant funds for undergraduate and graduate nurses. For instance the Providence Saint John Foundation Health Care Scholarship is one of these places where you can download the application form and find out about getting a scholarship. Fortis College in Maricopa Country is another. Whether it is federal or state government, there are many options available to a LPN student to find free government grants, and in fact some states will pay for just about your entire LPN schooling if you agree to put in a few years of community work.
Make Sure You Select the Best School
When you consider that an LPN degree can take anything from 9 months to 3 years to complete, with the length of the course depending on the area of specialty you are interested in, you will want to make sure you are going to select a college where you are going to be content. Nursing is a rewarding job and choosing the best LPN tuition will mean you will be well equipped to take on demanding and challenging work with ease and confidence. If you do your research, you will find there are many nursing programs that offer a variety of affordable and quality ways to get you into the best college for the best training. The Internet is full of tips and ideas for selecting quality schools for Licensed Practical And Licensed Vocational Nurses. Select an area where you want to do your training, request info on the school and whether they offer part-time, full-time or online courses and whether they offer financial aid.
