Admission Requirements

---

We are still accepting students for the February 2025 waitlist. All requirements listed below must be complete before being placed on the waitlist.

APPLICATION AND ADMISSION

All Admission Requirements listed below must be complete before acceptance into the program.

Applicants must complete an application and meet the qualifications as outlined below:

1. At least seventeen (17) years of age.

2. Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) and be listed as eligible on the Illinois Department of Public Health Healthcare Worker Registry. This must continue through the program.

3. Applicants must provide a copy of an official high school or GED transcript. High school transcripts must be from a state-recognized institution. Homeschooled students are required to complete one of the approved high school equivalency exams (GED®, HiSET®, or TASCTM). Transcript must arrive in a sealed envelope from the prospective student's school OR through parchment.com. Transcripts cannot be emailed from the student. 

**Please note: Online high schools(Ex:Penn Foster, Accellus etc.) are not recognized by the Illinois State Board of Education, and are therefore not accepted at CASPN, regardless of accreditation status. If you have transcripts for an online high school, you will need to sit for an equivalency exam (GED®, HiSET®, or TASCTM). In lieu of high school diploma we can accept college transcripts IF you were enrolled in a degree program and completed at lease 60 semester hours.**

4. Complete the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) pre-entrance examination. All applicants are expected to pass the Pre-Entrance Examination regardless of college hours or ACT scores. Applicants may take the TEAS exam up to three (3) times per twelve (12) month period. There must be two (2) weeks in between each testing attempt. Applicants should achieve a minimum score of 54% in Mathematics, a 54% in Reading Comprehension, and 45% in the English sections of the exam. A score of 35% is expected in the Science portion of the TEAS exam.

5. Submit a physical examination into Viewpoint completed on the school’s form within the 12 months before starting the program along with the following immunizations or titers: Tdap, MMR, Hepatitis B series, Chickenpox, or Varicella, and two-step TB test. It is the students responsibility to keep TB testing current throughout the program.

6. An immunization record that includes dates of vaccination or lab reports with immunization titers must be submitted to Viewpoint for verification of immunity. The physical examination and immunizations are the financial responsibility of the student.

7. Certified in CPR as a BLS Provider by the American Heart Association. Students MAY NOT go to the clinical setting without a current CPR card on file. It is the students' responsibility to keep CPR certification valid throughout the program. Upload the CPR card to Viewpoint.

8. At the student’s expense, complete the criminal background check and drug screen through Viewpoint. Applicants will not be accepted into the program until the background check is clear or a waiver is received. Individuals who test positive on a drug screen may be denied acceptance into the CASPN program for failure to meet program entrance requirements.

9. Eligible for financial aid if needed. An applicant who has defaulted on a previous student loan(s) or owes a refund on a Pell Grant may be ineligible for financial aid. The applicant should contact the Financial Aid Specialist before completing the application. Students must maintain admission requirements throughout the program, or they will be dismissed.

● Remain ‘eligible’ on the IDPH healthcare worker registry

● Negative drug screen of any substance

● Compliant with immunizations

● Current CPR certification

● Annual TB testing

The Capital Area School of Practical Nursing is open to all students that meet the requirements without regard to sex, age, race, religion, national origin, marital status, ethnic background, handicap or sexual orientation.