PORTLAND, Ore. – The Linfield Board of Trustees approved a resolution at its November meeting that will reduce the tuition price of one of the university’s signature nursing degree programs.
Based upon recommendations from Dean of Nursing Paul Smith and Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Success Gerardo Ochoa, the board agreed to reduce Linfield’s tuition price for the 12-month accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program to $65,000. The change, which will take effect starting with the June 2024 cohort, puts the cost of the program more in line with competing ABSN programs in the region.
“The average starting salary in Oregon is more than $70,000 a year for a BSN graduate,” Ochoa said. “We believe every one of our nursing programs offer a fantastic value for the price.”
Under the revised tuition price, no institutional financial aid will be offered. Students remain eligible for federal and other external aid. Current students paying the previous price will keep all of their financial aid, including institutional scholarships, throughout the duration of their program.
One of the reasons for the change was to better differentiate the ABSN program from Linfield’s pioneering Master’s Entry into Professional Nursing (MEPN) program, which debuted this year as the first of its kind in Oregon. Both the ABSN and the MEPN are designed for people with degrees in fields other than nursing, allowing them to make a career change and become a nurse. Both on-campus programs are prelicensure programs and prepare students to complete state licensing exams.
The ABSN program runs for 12 months and is built around accelerated 10-week terms, while the MEPN program takes 15 months and costs 40% more in tuition and fees. Graduates completing the ABSN program earn a second bachelor’s degree, while MEPN program graduates earn a Master of Science in Nursing.
Linfield’s 2023 ABSN graduates, the first cohort to complete the new 12-month program, recorded a 100% completion rate and a 100% first-time pass rate on the NCLEX exam, required for nurse licensure.
“Our ABSN program is the ideal choice for aspiring nurses who are ready to embark on a rewarding and impactful career in healthcare,” said Smith. “Many of our amazing faculty teach in more than one program and we consistently receive feedback from the community regarding the strength of our nursing graduates. All nursing programs provide a high-quality education with a slight difference in points of emphasis. We are not only educating future nurses, but we are also educating future leaders”
For more about the Linfield-Good Samaritan School of Nursing, visit linfield.edu/nursing.
