Traditional ASN Program Admissions
**There is a MANDATORY Keys to Success workshop held in June each year for students accepted into the program. The date will be determined in mid to late spring.**
**Starting April 2nd, 2023, applicants for the Fall 2024 nursing program and forward, must attend a nursing information session to be eligible. Applicants for cohorts starting with the Fall 2024 application must upload proof of attending a nursing information session. Attendees will be advised what to upload as proof of attendance.
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 April 1st each year (for fall semester start). Applications must be complete and include a copy of the applicant's certified nurse aide license in order for the application to be accepted. The online application will be available under the Process for Admission tab from January 1st through April 1st. 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.
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 Atrium Health Floyd 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.
- It is the policy of the GHC nursing program to require students to retake biology courses if these courses were taken more than six years before the application deadline for the nursing program.
- 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 April 1st. 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 Traditional ASN Program application cycle runs April 2nd - April 1st yearly.
- TEAS score reports are currently good for April 2nd, 2022 - April 1, 2023 (four attempts) and April 1, 2023 - April 1, 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.
- Proof of nursing assistant certification (CNA license). Applicants must have an active CNA license to upload, course certificates are not accepted. Licensed practical nurses are exempt from this requirement. Paramedics applying to the traditional track are NOT EXEMPT from this requirement and will need an active CNA license. Students should plan to complete their CNA program and licensing exam the summer or fall before their application deadline to avoid delays.
- 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
- Pathway Map - Nursing
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 Advantage Students (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 contact the nursing program director Dr. Stover (pstover@highlands.edu) 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 April 1st deadline.
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 Traditional Nursing Program is 36 credit hours total:
First Semester: 9 credit hours
Second Semester: 10 credit hours
Third Semester: 9 credit hours
Fourth 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: $10.00
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
Information sessions will be held virtually, through Zoom, the third Wednesday of the month 12pm-1pm. Attendees are encouraged to attend through the Zoom app on their phone, computer, or tablet. Phone callers will be missing crucial information from the slides during the presentation.
It's strongly encouraged that participants are able to 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.
Please check that you are able to access the link for the information session. Anyone arriving after 12:05pm will not be admitted to the session and will need to register for another one.
Passcode: Nursing
Registration: https://highlands.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwsf-qoqD8sGtdWYjU7YNvrohrTcLYTiH8Y
2023 Information Session Dates:
January 18th July 19th
February 15th August 16th
March 15th September 20th
April 19th October 18th
May 17th November 15th
June 21st December 12th (Tuesday)