High School Students/Graduates

Applications must be submitted online by 11:59 PM on March 1st each year (for summer semester start). The online application will be available under the Process for Admission tab from January 1st through March 1st. Early submission of the application is encouraged. Applications must be complete and include either a copy of the applicant's certified nursing assistant license or proof the applicant is enrolled in a certified nursing assistant program.

*Applications received in the last two weeks before the March 1st deadline are not guaranteed to be reviewed for missing or incorrect requirements.

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 if a dual enrollment applicant

2. Acceptance to the Nursing Program

Submit materials that document the following requirements by the application deadline to ensure consideration for acceptance:

• An active Certified Nurse Aide license or proof of enrollment in a CNA program that will allow licensure by August 1st.
• Must be 18 years of age by August 1st of application year.
• An ACT composite score of at least 24
  • An English score of at least 22
  • A Math score of at least 20
• Applicants will be invited to a short campus visit consisting of an interview with the admission committee and a short essay writing portion.
• 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
• Dual enrollment students will follow the Traditional Associate Degree Nursing Program 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:

1. Admission to Georgia Highlands College
2. Acceptance to the Nursing Program
   • High School Student/Graduate Program Application

The full-time plan of study is an option that allows high school students who meet the criteria below to apply to the traditional program by March 1st of their senior year. In the full-time plan of study, students take their core curriculum courses along with their nursing courses. Students following the full time plan of study can graduate with their associate degree in nursing within five (5) semesters. The full-time plan of study starts with courses in the summer semester following graduation from high school. The course load for the summer semester will be 8 semester hours followed by four semesters (fall-spring-fall-spring) with course loads of 14-17 semester hours.

Steps for admission into the nursing program:

1. Admission to the College. Submit the following materials to the admission office:
   • Completed Georgia Highlands College Application
   • Copy of high school transcript
2. Acceptance to the Nursing Program. Submit materials that document the following requirements by the application deadline to ensure consideration for acceptance:
   • A high school academic / HOPE GPA of 3.0
   • An ACT composite score of at least 24 with an English score of at least 22 and a Math score of at least 20
   • Proof of certified nursing assistant licensure

Dual enrollment students have the opportunity to complete the core curriculum courses for the ASN program while still in high school. Students are encouraged to work with their high school counselors and a nursing advisor to create a plan of study. It is possible for a dual enrollment student to be ready to apply to the traditional program by April 1st of their senior year provided the student will be at least 18 years of age by August 1st of that year and meets the criteria below. Once dual enrollment students have graduated from high school, they can continue to work with the nursing advisor to stay on track for early completion of RN-BSN core curriculum courses. Students have the opportunity to position themselves to complete the RN-BSN program within two (2) semesters following graduation from the ASN program.

Steps for admission into the nursing program:

1. Admission to the College. Submit the following materials to the admission office:
   • Completed Dual Enrollment Update Form
   • Copy of final high school transcript including graduation date
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 2121K, BIOL 2122K, and BIOL 2161K; ENGL 1101; and MATH 1001 or MATH 1111. The C or better in the biology courses includes both class and lab.
   • 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 one year of the application deadline. ATI TEAS tests greater than one year old must be taken again. Only two attempts will be allowed per application cycle.
   • Proof of certified nursing assistant licensure

For scholarship information, please visit the Georgia Highlands College Financial Aid website: https://sites.highlands.edu/financial-aid/

Current Tuition & Fees: https://www.highlands.edu/tuition-and-fees/

The High School Option Nursing Program is 36 credit hours of Nursing classes and 34 credit hours of general education core curriculum:

First Semester: 8 credit hours (1 credit hour Nursing)

Second Semester: 16 credit hours (8 credit hours Nursing, clinical rotations begin)

Third Semester: 17 credit hours (10 credit hours Nursing)

Fourth Semester: 15 credit hours (9 credit hours Nursing)

Fifth Semester: 14 credit hours (8 credit hours Nursing)

**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: $10.00

Nursing 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

TBD

Registration: TBD