Frequently Asked Questions

Applicants must:

• meet the general admission requirements for the college.
• hold a high school diploma or GED.
• have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) ≥ 2.5 based on the GPA calculated at the most recent institution/college at which you completed at least 12 college credit hours.

The following are the prerequisites for Fall 2026 consideration:

• Chemistry (high school or college, must have a lab)
• BIO 141 (Human Anatomy/Physiology I or equivalent)
• ENG 111 
• PSY 230
• SDV 101

Each course must be completed with a C or higher by the end of the spring 2026 semester. Please note: if you achieve a C in each of the prerequisite courses, the prerequisite GPA will not be 2.5 or higher. This will be calculated based on the grades for BIO141, ENG111, PSY230, and SDV101.

Note: A high school senior will only be considered if they can meet all the same prerequisites and minimum GPAs as other applicants. In addition, students admitted into the fall Nursing program must be 18 years of age by the June 1 before they begin the program.

If your college offers a one-credit SDV 100 and a one-credit SDV 101, we can combine those two courses to equate to the two-credit SDV 101 prerequisite, provided the final grades are a C or higher.  Alternately, if you have completed an Associate degree or higher, upon receipt of the official transcript showing degree completion we can use the previous degree to award credit for prior learning for the two credit SDV prerequisite.

If your college only offers the one-credit SDV, we can use the one credit of SDV and a completed HLT or PED course for the second SDV credit. In addition, several community colleges, including Virginia Western, offer their two credit SDV courses online. You can apply to that college and complete the two credit SDV online.

In 2025, there were over 90 qualified applicants considered.

Program admission decisions are based on:

• Results of the nursing entrance examination (Kaplan COMPOSITE scores must be 45% or higher and the 45th percentile in all categories — Reading, Writing, Mat, English and Critical Thinking — is preferred to be considered)
• Prerequisite GPA (based on BIO 141, ENG 111, PSY 230 and SDV 101)
• Consideration is given to previous healthcare certification, healthcare credential or 12 months of healthcare patient-care experience (see below).

Entrance exam details are announced via Navigate in late March (just prior to the exam being administered in April). Applicants need to be aware of the email account associated with Navigate and turn on the notifications in Navigate.

Additional consideration is given to those with any of the following:

• CNA or CCMA credential
• EMT credential
• paramedic credential
• corpsman
• phlebotomist
• 12 months of healthcare experience in patient care related role with letter of recommendation from supervisor

Please be prepared to submit a copy of certification or healthcare credential with the online application. Healthcare experience without a credential is considered with a supervisor’s recommendation indicating 12 months of healthcare experience related to patient care. Please submit recommendation letter with your application only if you do not have a current healthcare license or certification but do have 12 months of patient care. Please have the supervisor send the recommendation letter to pwoody@virginiawestern.edu or healthprofessions@virginiawestern.edu.

Failure to register and attend the mandatory informational session will result in your name being removed from consideration for the fall program. Additionally, we had several students that did not achieve the required grade in the prerequisites for spring and their name was withdrawn from consideration.

There is not a waiting list. All applicants who meet the deadline (March 1) and are minimally qualified are considered for the program.

The core Nursing courses are 10-13 credits per semester, and you will need to be able to take any support course work you still need to fulfill general requirements. Lectures and assigned skills labs are held during daytime hours only. You should expect clinical experiences to be either 6 hours (day) or 12 hours (day/evening and some weekend). Most are 12 hours. The Nursing courses must be completed in sequence. Trying to work while in the program is discouraged due to the intensity of the program.

We accept permanent residents, asylee, refugees and most visa types. However, we do not accept students on F1 or M1 visas as those visas are affiliated with a particular school. Students on F1 or M1 visas are not allowed to pursue a degree or certificate program with Virginia Western. Students on B1 and B2 visas are also not allowed to enroll at Virginia Western.

Conviction of a felony, misdemeanor or any offense substantially related to the qualifications, functions and duties of a registered nurse may constitute grounds for not allowing a candidate to take the RN-NCLEX licensing exam. This decision is made by the State Board of Nursing. For questions regarding this issue, call The Virginia Board of Nursing 804-367-4515.

Yes. The deadline to apply is October 1st each year for the following summer. The bridge takes 1 year to complete (summer, fall, and spring semester). If you are an LPN and interested in knowing more, please go to the LPN to Nursing AAS Transition webpage.

The Introduction to Nursing CSC allows applicants who may not be accepted into the AAS Registered Nursing program to academically prepare to take the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) certification exam, if the EMS 111/120 course sequence is completed. 

Additionally, if you already have a healthcare licensure/certification (such as CCMA, CNA, Phlebotomist, etc,) if you submit a copy of your current license to the Health Professions Advising and Applications Office, we can complete paperwork on your behalf to determine if  Credit for Prior Learning can be awarded for one of the options under the job skill portion of the Introduction to Nursing CSC.

The Introduction to Nursing CSC consists of specific coursework that is designed to allow applicants to the Nursing program to complete some of the courses required within the AAS and to also offer a job skill option to applicants in case of non-admittance to the program. Not all prerequisite and support classes are included in the CSC. BIO 142, BIO 150, PHI 220, and the nursing electives of ENG 112, HLT 230 or SOC 200 are not offered in the CSC. 

If you are using financial aid to cover the cost of classes, financial aid will only cover the cost of one of either BIO 142, BIO 150 or PHI 220, if you are eligible for financial aid. Financial aid will also not cover the NSG elective since it is not included in the CSC.

If you wish to complete these courses prior to entry, you need to pay for those courses out of pocket.  If you are accepted into the AAS Nursing program, financial aid will then cover those courses. The plan change for accepted students from the CSC to the AAS typically occurs in late May or early June and will not be effective until the fall term.

This nursing education program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing.

Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)
3343 Peachtree Road, Suite 850
Atlanta, GA 30326
404-975-5000
www.acenursing.org

Applicants for admission to the Nursing program are considered for class positions based on their ability to meet the program admission standards, without regard to race, color, sex, age, religion, disability, national origin, or other non-merit factors.

Applicants can complete the GED and submit official scores of the GED to the HPAAO. Applicants can also submit their transcripts to one of the organizations who are members of NACES (National Association of Credential Evaluation Services) and have the official report that verifies completion of United States High School education equivalency sent to the HPAAO. Either the copy of the GED scores or the official report from a NACES organization member must arrive by the application deadline of March 1 to be considered for the fall program. Here is a link to the current members of the NACES.

If you are interested in taking classes to prepare for future entry into the program but you are unsure when you will be eligible, please submit the 2026 Nursing application form with the appropriate transcripts. This will allow us to help you plan and suggest proper courses to begin your studies. The advisor will also evaluate your transcripts for transfer credit and can discuss your placement results.

We have a team of advisors for Health Professions.

• New students should begin with a New Student Advisor in the Enrollment Center.
• Rhonda Perdue is the Health Professions program advisor and provides advising about applying and preparing for health professions programs for continuing Virginia Western Students. Rhonda can assist with career planning and course selection and may be able to assist with preliminary information. You can schedule an appointment with Rhonda Perdue via Navigate.
• Pam Woody or Jasmine Terry will process your academic file and evaluate previously completed coursework after a review of your official transcripts. They will also send the process letter verifying your GPA, prerequisites, and the evaluation of your college course work.
• Julie Ainsley is the pre-nursing advisor who can be reached at jainsley@virginiawestern.edu. She can assist with career planning and course selections and may be able to assist with preliminary information.

Submission of all academic materials including application and official transcripts from High School and all colleges attempted should be directed to: Attention: Pam Woody; VWCC; School of Health Professions; 3091 Colonial Avenue; Roanoke VA 24015.

You may also contact the team of advisors at healthprofessions@virginiawestern.edu.

2025-2026 Kaplan Prep Guide (PDF)

Admission decisions are made by a Nursing Admissions Committee. Admission decisions are emailed or scanned to student email to the applicants as soon as possible, usually by late May. Please note that spring grades need to be posted to determine the prerequisite GPA prior to Nursing Admission Committee meeting.

The following is only a tentative time-frame of the courses/labs/clinicals for the nursing program for fall. Classes are typically on Tuesday and Thursday and nursing skills labs are typically Monday or Wednesday. Clinicals can be M/W/F and Saturday and sometimes Sunday. In addition, there is typically a three-hour prep for one credit of a course. Also, keep in mind that the number of clinical hours increase with each semester/level of nursing.

Virginia Western Community College faculty and students must comply with the policies required by clinical facilities with which we have legal agreements. If a student refuses to comply with a clinical facility immunization and vaccination requirement, Virginia Western Community College will attempt, but cannot guarantee, to assign a student to an alternative clinical facility. A student will be placed in an alternative location only if it meets the educational objectives of Virginia Western Community College and program requirements for clinical placement. Faculty also must be available to appropriately supervise students at the clinical facility. Refusal to comply with a clinical facility immunization and vaccination requirement by a student in our health programs may impede your progress in the program or your ability to remain in the program.

It is the student’s responsibility to clear their urine drug screen. Marijuana may be legalized under state law for medical use with an MMJ card, but medical marijuana use is prohibited at all clinical sites. The presence of marijuana metabolites in urine will result in a positive drug screen finding that prevents a student from obtaining clinical placement and results in removal from the program. There are no exceptions to this rule as healthcare facilities have the right to ban the use of these drugs by hospital employees or clinical students.

The AAS Nursing program is a pre-licensure nursing program that prepares graduates to take the licensure exam (NCLEX-RN) and then apply for licensure as registered nurses (RN) through the Virginia Board of Nursing (VBON). 

Successful completion of the AAS Nursing program does not guarantee licensure or eligibility to practice nursing.  All successful graduates are subject to application of licensure rules and fees as set forth by the Virginia Board of Nursing including a background check, finger printing, and meeting the passing standard of the NCLEX-RN examination.  Only the Virginia Board of Nursing determines RN licensure.

Helpful resources:

• National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN): https://www.ncsbn.org/publications/2025-nclex-candidate-bulletin
• Virginia Board of Nursing: https://www.dhp.virginia.gov/media/dhpweb/docs/nursing/reports/ChoosingEducationPrograms.pdf