Practical Nursing (LPN) Admission Requirements

To complete an application for the Practical Nursing program, email alliedhealth@stchas.edu for more information or click here to schedule an appointment with an allied health counselor.   

To apply for the LPN program, students must meet with an allied health advisor. Students may only apply after the following application requirements have been completed:

Step 1 - Apply to St. Charles Community College and Complete Assessments

• Students must complete the assessment test and/or submit official transcripts for English and math courses passed with a grade of "C" or better.
• Students must have all official transcripts on file and complete the "Request for Transcript Evaluation" form in your mySCC Portal PRIOR to applying for the Practical Nursing program.
  • Sign into your SCC Portal>Quick Links>eForms>Request for Evaluation of Transfer Credit - complete the required information and click submit.
• Students must successfully complete any required developmental coursework (RDG 085, 092, 093; ENG 095, 096; or MAT 096) or equivalent ESL required courses.

Step 2 - Essentials of Anatomy and Physiology (BIO 200A/B) or Anatomy and Physiology I (BIO 250A/B) Course

• Students must complete Essentials of Anatomy and Physiology (BIO 200A/B) or Anatomy and Physiology I (BIO 250A/B) and earn a "C" or better to be eligible for application.
• Essentials of Anatomy and Physiology (BIO 200A/B) or Anatomy and Physiology I (BIO 250A/B) must be completed within five years of admission to the PN program.

Step 3 - Grade Point Average

• Earn a 2.7 GPA on 12+ completed college-level credits or a 2.5 GPA with 22 ACT, 2.6 GPA with 21 ACT, or 2.7 GPA with 20 ACT (see scale)
  • Developmental and pass/fail courses do not count toward the credit hours or GPA calculation.

Step 4 - ACT Test (if applicable)

• ACT score requirement is based on current GPA (see sliding scale).
• ACT must have been taken within five years from program start.
• Register for the ACT through www.actstudent.org.
  • St. Charles Community College is a testing site, but the ACT can be taken at any location.
• The ACT will be waived for students who meet the following criteria:
  • Completed a Bachelor's Degree and have a minimum GPA of 3.0.
  • Completed an associate degree and have a minimum GPA of 3.0.
  • Completed 30+ transferable college-level credit hours and a minimum GPA of 3.0.

Sliding Scale ACT/GPA

Required ACT score correlates to a student's GPA range.

Step 5 - HESI A2 Exam

• Students must complete the HESI A2 and earn a minimum 70% on each of the following academic subject areas: Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary, Math, and Anatomy and Physiology.
  • For more details, see the HESI A2 Information Guide.

• If you need to take the HESI for the nursing application, please email alliedhealth@stchas.edu from your SCC email and include your preferred testing date. 

REMEMBER: To apply for the LPN program, students must meet with an allied health advisor. 

                                                                                    Practical Nursing Program
                                                                                         Application Deadline

                                                                                   Deadline*                Program Start
                                                                                   October 20^th                   Spring    

                                                                                   March 20^th                       Fall

                                                                  *When the application deadline falls on a Saturday or
                                                                  Sunday, the application is due the preceding Friday.

Applications submitted after the deadline will be considered when space permits.

- Admission criteria are subject to change -

NOTE: It is the student’s responsibility to supply documentation that requirements are met and to maintain awareness of deadlines, academic status, course requirements, etc.

Students are eligible to apply with an allied health counselor once the following have been completed and verified:

1. Assessment test completed;
2. Developmental courses successfully completed when required (MAT 096; ENG 095, 096; RDG 085, 092, 093; or ESL Equivalents);
3. Official transcripts on file and evaluated;
4. Essentials of Anatomy and Physiology course completed with a C or better (within five years of admission to the program); and
5. Earned a 20+ on ACT (within five years of admission to the program) OR earned a 2.7 GPA on 15+ college-level credits.

Eligible students are placed in an applicant pool. Students who have completed the admission requirements are ranked based on their application materials. Those who rank highest will be selected to enter the LPN certificate program. Students will be notified of their acceptance to the program once the ranking is complete. Students who are accepted to the program are required to submit proof of health insurance.

Students will be considered as active applicants for two cohorts following the date of their applications. Students will not be admitted to the PN program once the classes have begun.

Admission to the Practical Nursing certificate program is not final until the results from the mandatory drug screen and criminal background check are reviewed by the division dean. In order to complete the required background checks and participate in the clinical experience, students must have a Social Security Number (SSN). Students who test positive on the drug screen will be denied admission for the current year. Students may be denied entry into the program based on criminal background results. 

To meet graduation requirements for the Certificate of Achievement in Practical Nursing, students must earn at least 33 credit hours of practical nursing coursework and, at minimum, 13 credit hours of general education courses. The total 46 hours must yield a cumulative grade point average of 2.0, and all nursing and science courses must have an earned grade of "C" or above.

Effective August 2023

Tuition and Fees
(Estimated for AY 23-24. Subject to change.)

Tier III - In-District Students

$226 per credit hour + $10.00 per credit hour Technology Fee  + $4 per credit hour Student Success fee = $240/credit hour

Tier III - Out of District Students

$282 per credit hour + $10.00 per credit hour Technology Fee + $4 per credit hour Student Success fee = $296/credit hour

Program Costs*
*Estimates based on in-district on campus rates

*Incidental Fees are Approximate

*Incidental Costs are not included above (uniform, stethoscope, NCLEX licensure fees, etc.)

ALL COSTS ARE APPROXIMATE AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE.

*For additional tuition information please visit SCC's Tuition and Payment page.