Bridge ASN Program Admissions
*There is a MANDATORY Keys to Success workshop that will be held in November for students accepted into the program.*
Starting August 16, 2023, applicants for the Spring 2025 nursing bridge program and forward must attend a nursing information session to be eligible. Applicants for cohorts with the Spring 2025 application must upload proof of attending a nursing information session. Attendees will be advised what to upload as proof of attendance.
Applicants for the bridge program must be finishing their final prerequisites at GHC in the summer semester of application. This is to ensure applicants will have all prerequisites completed for a competitive admission score.
The prefix and numbers for the biology classes have changed. For the updated course information please visit the Nursing FAQ.
Applications must be submitted online by 11:59 pm on August 15th each year (for a spring semester start). Applications must be complete and include a copy of the applicant's current LPN or Paramedic license in order for the application to be accepted. If it has been more than two years from the application deadline since the LPN or paramedic completed training, the application is not considered complete without a LPN-Paramedic-Hours-Letter-Template for verification of work hours. The letter is required and an applicant will not be eligible without it or if the letter submitted does not follow the template provided by August 15th. The online application will be available under the Process for Admission tab from May 1st through August 15th. Early submission of the application is encouraged.
*Applications received in the last two weeks before the deadline date are not guaranteed to be reviewed for missing or incorrect requirements.
**Up to 50 students will be accepted each spring.
1. Admission to the college
Submit the following materials to the Georgia Highlands College admissions office:
- Completed Georgia Highlands College application
- Copy of high school transcript
- Official copy of transcripts from all colleges previously attended
- Check Admissions Status
- If accepted for the program, all admissions requirements MUST be complete in order to be registered for nursing classes.
2. Acceptance to the Nursing Program
Submit materials that document the following requirements by the application deadline to ensure consideration for acceptance:
- A minimum GPA of 2.5 in the required general core courses and a grade of C or better in BIOL 2251K, 2252K, and BIOL 2260K; ENGL 1101; and MATH 1001 or MATH 1111. The C or better in the biology courses includes both class and lab.
- The LPN/Paramedic Bridge program: the age of A&P I, A&P II, and Microbiology no longer matters. Please be aware that all graded attempts at these three classes will count in the admission score.
- Minimum of a 70 composite score on the ATI TEAS test. Official transcript for the ATI TEAS is required. The ATI TEAS must have been taken within two years of the application deadline. ATI TEAS tests greater than two years old must be taken again.
- Official ATI TEAS score reports are due by 11:59pm August 15th. Students who take the ATI TEAS exam through the GHC Testing Center do not have to submit their score report(s), we have access to them as soon as the exam is completed. For students who take the ATI TEAS exam at an outside testing center/location, you will need to submit an official score report to us for each attempt by going through your ATI TEAS account. Email Chance Hooper at chooper@highlands.edu the day after you complete the exam to be sure your score report has been received.
- TEAS scores are good for two years, meaning four attempts per application cycle for a total of eight possible attempts:
- The Bridge Program application cycle runs August 16th - August 15th yearly.
- TEAS score reports are currently good for August 2nd, 2022 - August 15th, 2023 (four attempts) and August 16th, 2023 - August 15th, 2024 (four attempts).
- Applicants must attend a nursing information session and upload proof of attendance. Information session attendees will be given instructions on how to obtain this proof during the sessions. Failure to maintain proof of attendance will require the student to attend another information session in order to be eligible.
- If English is the student’s second language, proof of the following achievement on the TOEFL is also required:
- 550 on paper-based exam
- 213 on computer exam
- 80 on Internet exam
- 550 on paper-based exam
- LPNs and paramedics must also meet the following admission requirements:
- Be licensed as an LPN or paramedic in the state of Georgia (must submit a copy of the license with the nursing application)
- Have been a practicing LPN or paramedic with at least 1000 hours of clinical practice in the last two years using this LPN-Paramedic-Hours-Letter-Template or have graduated from an LPN or paramedic program within the last two years (the degree confirmation will be found on the official transcript submitted to the Admissions office)
- Specific information for the work letter is available in #6 on the Nursing FAQ.
- LPN & Paramedic Bridge Pathway
Each student must take responsibility for making sure his/her records are current, complete and received prior to the application deadline.
Criminal background checks and drug screenings are required for clinical practice by institutions used by the nursing program for the clinical experiences associated with the nursing courses. These will be completed after being accepted into the nursing program. A student will be required to participate in these checks upon acceptance to the program and at least annually while in the program. All criminal background checks and drug screenings will be at the expense of the student. Criminal background checks and drug screening are to be performed through AdvantageStudents (www.advantagestudents.com) as required by many of the clinical facilities. Clinical experience is a component of all required nursing courses. A course cannot be satisfactorily completed without completing the clinical component of the course. Should a student be denied placement by a clinical facility related to results on a criminal background check or drug screening, the student will be dismissed from the program with no opportunity for readmission.
A student who has been arrested or convicted of a crime other than a minor traffic violation may not be permitted to take the RN licensure examination. This decision rests with the Georgia Board of Nursing (www.sos.state.ga.us).
Students with a criminal record must see the nursing program director for advice before submitting an application regarding the licensure examination.
Admission to the nursing program is a two-step process:
- Admission to Georgia Highlands College
- Acceptance to the Nursing Program
- Students are responsible for reaching out to the Associate Degree Nursing Program to ensure their application is complete by emailing Chance Hooper at chooper@highlands.edu.
- No required documentation will be accepted after the August 15th deadline.
The nursing program is split between the Floyd Campus and Heritage Hall Site, please visit the new Virtual Tours website to take an online tour of each Georgia Highlands campus.
Current Tuition & Fees: https://www.highlands.edu/tuition-and-fees/
The LPN/Paramedic Bridge Nursing Program is 26 credit hours total:
- First Semester: 9 credit hours
- Second Semester: 9 credit hours
- Third Semester: 8 credit hours
**Costs below are approximate.**
- Nursing Resource & e-Book Bundle: Varies by semester. Students should budget at least $800 per semester for learning materials.Clinical Supplies: $110/first two semesters
GHC Nursing Patch: $10.00Nursing Uniform: $325 (Scrubs, Shoes, and Jacket)Liability Insurance: $16/annually* (All students in the nursing sequence are required to have professional liability insurance purchased through the school.)Course Fee: $198/semester
Health Insurance: $1,120/semester** (**All students in the nursing sequence are required to have health insurance. If the student has a personal health insurance policy, proof of insurance must be provided and a waiver request can be completed to have the health insurance fee removed. Please use the Student Health Insurance link under the Navigation links.)
ACEMAPP: $50/annually
Background Check/Drug Screen: $80/annually
For scholarship information, please visit the Georgia Highlands College Financial Aid website: https://sites.highlands.edu/financial-aid/
Nursing Information Sessions:
Information sessions will be held virtually, through Microsoft Teams, the third Wednesday of the month 1pm-2pm. Attendees are encouraged to attend through the Microsoft Teams app on their phone, computer, or tablet.
Participants should plan to attend using the Microsoft Teams app on their phone, tablet, or computer without calling in. If you call in through the Microsoft Teams app you may not be able to hear the session audio. This is to encourage everyone to attend when they can view the PowerPoint presentation.
Proof of attendance will be required for admission to the program. It is the applicant's responsibility to keep up with their attendance proof. Losing the proof of attendance will require attending another information session. Create a file folder on your device to keep track of your nursing application requirements: scanned front of driver's license, optional CNA license, and proof of information session attendance.
Anyone arriving after 1:05pm will not be admitted to the session and will need to register for a future session. Please submit your attendance email between 1pm-2pm, if your email is received after 2pm you will be requested to attend another session to obtain proof of attendance.
2024 Information Session Dates:
January 17th July 17th
February 21st August 21st
March 20th September 18th
April 17th October 16th