Foreign students must present proof of permanent residency in the United States. The Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology are authorized to enroll immigrants/permanent resident students who provide the school with a resident alien card (Form 1-551) or other acceptable document to verify permanent resident status. The school is not approved by INS to accept foreign nationals.
Are there special requirements for out-of-state students?
Can I receive credit for courses taken in high school or other previous experience?
Possibly. An individual may be given credit for skills and knowledge obtained in high school or at another post-secondary institution. If you think you are eligible for advanced placement credit, see Placement Tests and Transfer Credit for more information.
How do I get started?
To begin the application process, visit the Admissions page and follow the instructions for how to apply.
I’m a current high school student. Can I enroll in TCAT courses?
Many TCATs offer high school students the opportunity to earn dual enrollment credit (credit at high school and credit at the Tennessee College of Applied Technology). Opportunities for dual enrollment vary by campus.
Eligible students must have completed at least the sophomore year of high school with a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale. Requests for exceptions may be submitted to the Student Services Coordinator of the college.
In order to apply for dual enrollment, be sure to select “Dual Enrollment HS Students Only” on your application for admission. Also submit a completed application form authorized by TSAC regarding Dual Enrollment and a written recommendation from the high school principal, teacher, or counselor.
I’ve already earned a diploma from a full-time TCAT program. Can I apply to another program?
Students earning a diploma in a full-time program must wait a minimum of six months before being allowed to enroll in another program. Exceptions will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
What happens after I submit all required documents?
Your application will be reviewed and you will be notified as to whether you are accepted into the program. If you are accepted but the program is full, your name will be placed on a waiting list according to your application’s date of completion. You will be notified when a vacancy occurs. If you refuse the first vacancy, Student Services may delay your entry into the next available slot. If you refuse a second offer of vacancy, you will be removed from the waiting list entirely.
If your desired program has a long waiting list, you will periodically receive letters from Student Services to determine your continued interest. If you do not respond to the letter in an appropriate time period, you will be removed from the waiting list.
What is required for entrance into the Practical Nursing Program?
Tennessee College of Applied Technology Ripley
Ripley & Bells Day Classes
Practical Nursing Information
Full-time Day program – These classes are 12 months in length and meet Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (clinical times may vary). Our next class begins May 1, 2017 and will be offered at the Bells Instructional Service Center located on 6514 Hwy 412. Classes in Ripley will begin September 2017 and January 2018.
What is the Application Process?
Candidates wishing to enter Four Rivers Regional Practical Nursing Program must pass HESI entrance exam or be less than 20 years of age by the start date of the class and have acceptable ACT scores. Upon successful completion of this requirement, the candidate will be handed a nursing packet to be completed by a specified date. This packet explains the requirements that must be submitted in order for the candidate to be invited to orientation. Requirements consist of:
●Official high school /GED and college transcripts, ●Proof of immunizations
●Letters of references (only current ones accepted) ●College and nursing applications
If all requirements have been submitted by the designated deadline, a candidate will receive a letter of invitation to orientation in the mail. Orientation is mandatory. Upon successful completion of these steps, the candidate will be submitted to the practical nursing advisory board committee who will select the students for the upcoming class. All candidates will receive an official letter in the mail in regards to whether they were selected for the program or not. Those candidates accepted in the program are responsible for contacting the college to confirm acceptance of this position or an alternate may/will be asked to fill the seat.
What are the approved nursing entrance exams?
We currently accept 1 nursing entrance exams.
You only have to take and pass 1 of the 3 to be considered for the class.
HESI – score of 70% on both the Math and Reading Comprehension Components
Passing scores are valid for two years for the Practical Nursing program.
Best scores are accepted, not necessarily latest. Math and Reading scores must come from the same entrance exam, but do not have to be on the same exam date.
When is the approved nursing entrance exam given?
The HESI exam cost is $40. The HESI exam is one test with the parts all inclusive. NO partial tests will be given. You must come to the college and pay the non-refundable/non-transferable testing fee of $40 in cash or credit/debit cards (no checks accepted) to reserve a testing date and time. Limited seating is available.
You must register for the HESI prior to testing.
Registration will take place M-F from 8:00a.m. – 4:00p.m. at the Ripley or Bells location.
At registration, you will be notified of your testing date and time.
Please allow a minimum of 3 hours for the testing process.
How do I prepare for the HESI Exam?
The Math Component
focuses on math skills needed for health care fields, including basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, fractions, decimals, ratio and proportion, household measures, general math facts, etc.
The Reading Comprehension Component provides scenarios to measure reading comprehension, identifying the main idea, finding meaning of words in context, passage comprehension, making logical inferences, etc.
The Critical Thinking Component (not scored) is intended to provide the student and faculty with a brief “snapshot” of critical thinking ability in usual situations encountered in health care settings and has the following sub-categories: problem solving; biases and ethical dilemmas; argument analysis; and analysis of data. The HESI is timed exam. We will provide students with a calculator and scratch paper for the exam.