Practical Nursing (LPN)

Once you’re ready to get started on your nursing pathway, follow these easy steps for new student enrollment. Advisers at the Gateway Center are happy to help you. Let them know that you are interested in pursuing a practical nursing major.

You must submit these items to the Gateway Center to be considered for admission:

• Completed PN application
• Background check email from SSC security office
• TEAS test results

All items must be turned in together prior to the June 15 deadline for the fall cohort or December 1 for the spring cohort. The admission committee will review applications and notify applicants by email if they are accepted or declined for admission.

Once accepted, students must complete a mandatory orientation to receive information about CPR, drug screen, health records, uniforms and ID badges.

• The day program offers a fall semester and spring semester start with classes Monday-Friday 7 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
• The evening/weekend program offers a spring semester start ONLY with classes two evenings a week from 4-9:30 p.m. and clinical experiences every Saturday from 7 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
• All classes and labs are held at Stark State College Akron.
• Clinical experiences take place at health care facilities within a 75-mile radius.
• There are 46 seats available with each new cohort.

You will need to take the TEAS (Test of Essential Academic Skills) entrance exam as part of the admission process for Stark State nursing programs. View upcoming testing dates and registration information here.

You will need to review and complete the LPN Information and Application packet. It contains critical information including an admissions checklist, important dates, estimated costs, program application, and background check instructions.

Guidelines for background check form and to schedule your check

Criminal background checks will be required for all nursing students before beginning nursing courses and on an annual basis. Depending on the individual’s criminal background, it may not be possible to provide required clinical placements.

According to Section 4723.28 of the Ohio Revised Code, nursing students are responsible for informing the department chair/director of nursing, early and during the program, of any misdemeanor related to alcohol or drugs, or felony convictions so that students may be informed of the steps the Ohio Board of Nursing will take before considering their application to sit for the licensing examination.

According to Ohio HB327: anyone previously convicted of, pleaded guilty to, or had a judicial finding of guilt for an egregious felony will be precluded from initial licensure. Egregious felonies are: aggravated murder, murder, voluntary manslaughter, felonious assault, kidnapping, rape, sexual battery, gross sexual imposition, aggravated arson, aggravated robbery and aggravated burglary.

Candidates who wish to sit for the NCLEX-PN (licensing examination) will be required to submit their fingerprints to the Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

For more details, contact the Ohio Board of Nursing website at nursing.ohio.gov.

All LPN classes are available at our Akron location, conveniently located off Route 8. Fall and spring start dates are available.

Applicants must receive a cumulative score of 58.7 on the TEAS test before submitting application. They must also have a post-secondary GPA of 2.0 or greater; if no post-secondary GPA, a high school GPA of 2.0 or greater. Applicants may request a one-time Academic Forgiveness by completing the Academic Forgiveness Form and submitting the form to Academic Records/Registrar’s Office. If granted, the applicant may proceed in the application to the PN program.

Yes, scholarships and/or financial aid may be available. Gateway specialists are available on a walk-in basis weekdays during office hours in the Gateway Student Services Center. They’re ready to answer your specific questions about financial aid, including the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form, registration and enrollment. The Gateway Student Services Office is in room M102.