Lees-McRae College Nursing Program Review

Lees-McRae College (LMC) is a small private college located in Banner Elk, North Carolina in Appalachia near the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Cherokee National Forests. Situated over 4,000 above sea level, there is a beautiful view of the Appalachian Mountains from the campus. Lees-McRae is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church. Less than 1,000 students attend the college that began as a college for women in 1899. There are 22 majors and 16 minors offered at Lees-McRae College and class sizes are an average size of 15 students.

Nursing Program

RN to BSN Program

Lees-McRae offers a Registered Nurse (RN) to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program that is designed for nurses who want to complete their baccalaureate degree. The program does not require prerequisite courses because students take general education and nursing courses after enrolling in the program. This RN-BSN program is different than others in several ways. Besides not requiring any prerequisites, it is based on an Associate Degree Program and RNs receive recognition for their past nursing courses. Classes are held only one night each week from 5 PM until 9 PM, which allows RNs to continue working a day shift. Also, the nursing program includes upper level general education courses that are built into it.

The nursing program is a 2 + 2 program. RNs with an Associate Degree enter the program as a junior with two years of studies left to complete. Many times, other colleges advertise that an RN can complete his or her BSN in one year, but they do not mention the 1 to 2 years of prerequisite classes that are required. Students work together in cohort to complete the four semesters required to complete the BSN. Admission requirements are that the applicant must be working as an RN at least 20 hours per week and must hold current licensure as a RN. Lees-McRae College has a transfer agreement with community college in North Carolina that allows RNs who have graduated with an Associate Degree to transfer to Lees-McRae.

Lees-McRae College offers a very helpful financial aid package to all extended campus students that also applies to nurses in the RN-BSN program. Tuition at the college costs $2,750 per semester, and students receive $17,950 in grant aid per academic year. This includes funds from the college, state, and federal aid, including the Federal Pell Grand and North Carolina Need Based Scholarship if the student qualifies to receive this. Whereas a full year’s tuition would normally cost $23,450, with the grant aid each academic year, students are only responsible for paying $5,500 each academic year, or $11,000 for two years needed to complete their bachelor’s degree. Applicants must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form to determine if they qualify for state and federal loans. This is a very generous grant that is usually difficult to find, and for RNs who live in the area, it makes completing a bachelor’s degree something possible to do.

Contact:
Lees-McRae College
191 Main St. W, Banner Elk, NC 28604
(828) 898-8814