Admission Requirements

Admission into the VN Program is selective and screened through a selection process bi-annually for the VN students; and will only be considered if all application and required materials are received by the application deadline. Students should consult the TSC webpage or the vocational nursing department for application deadlines for each semester.

Application deadlines will be strictly adhered to:

Fall Admission – May 31st
Spring Admission – November 1st

Candidates for admission are required to:

1. Apply to TSC and meet the general TSC admission requirements. (Available in the TSC Office of the registrar). TSC Enrollment Checklist
2. VN applicants will complete the HESI assessment test. The HESI entrance exam is a standardized exam to assess skill level in Reading Comprehension, Grammar, Vocabulary, Math, Biology, and Anatomy & Physiology.
3. Testing is conducted on set dates. HESI exams may be taken twice per calendar year. If repeating the HESI entrance exams, a 30-day window is required between exams, as well as a remediation packet prior to taking the repeat exam.
4. Students are admitted to the TSC VN program on provisional status pending completion of a physical exam, immunizations, and Texas BON fingerprinting/Background check.

Admission requirements include:

1. VN Students must achieve a minimum of 70% on each of the HESI sections (Reading Comprehension, Grammar, Vocabulary, Math, Biology, and Anatomy & Physiology). VN students must achieve a minimum Comprehensive score of 75%.
   The HESI entrance requirement must have been completed within 12 months on the application deadline.
2. Completed application to the Vocational Nursing Program in its entirety. Must turn in an application for each application cycle. Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended must be on file in the Admission and Records Office and VN office.
3. There are no required pre-requisites. Anatomy & Physiology I & II may have been taken within five years prior to entering the nursing program. Students must earn a C or better. Or students may take VNSG 1320 Anatomy & Physiology for Allied Health.
4. Complete Essential Physical Competency form.

Please refer to the TSC VN Admission Checklist and include with your completed application

Applicants will be notified by mail whether they have been or have not been selected into the program. Requirements after acceptance into the TSC ADN program are:

1. Submit document received from the Texas Board of Nursing indicating clearance following their background check (i.e. blue card or outcome letter).
2. Mandatory attendance to the VN Program orientation at the scheduled day and time. (You will receive this information on your acceptance letter).
3. Submit proof of immunizations, PPD (TB) test or chest x-ray (if history of positive TB skin test) Pre-entrance Medical Form, current BLS. See the Immunization Record in your application. If your immunizations cannot be completed by enrollment date, you will need to re-apply for the following admission cycle. (Hepatitis B takes 6 months to complete the series).
   NOTE: You will need proof of actual immunizations or titer to upload in our immunization document tracker prior to your first clinical day.
4. Submit current proof American Heart Association Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers (CPR).
5. Consent to both Castle Branch background check and the Texas Board of Nursing criminal background check must be completed prior to admission.
6. Consent to a drug test at a time determined by the Program Director.
7. Provide a copy of your health insurance and driver’s license prior to clinical rotations (you will upload these documents in Castle Branch after mandatory orientation).

*All documents submitted become property of the College upon receipt. All information contained in the application is to be true and correct. Any misrepresentation of the facts will make the applicant ineligible for admission.

Effective September 1, 2017, HB 1508, 85th Leg., R.S. (2017), amended Chapter 53 of the Texas Occupations Code to add Subchapter E relating to notice to applicants to and enrollees in certain educational programs regarding the consequences of criminal conviction on eligibility for an occupational license.

Pursuant to Chapter 53, Subchapter E, of the Texas Occupations Code, please be advised that Texas Southmost College offers programs that lead to an occupational license as defined under Texas Occupations Code 58.001. Licensing authorities may have guidelines concerning prior criminal convictions that would make an individual ineligible for issuance of a given license. If you are enrolled in a program that may prepare an individual for an occupational license and/or if you later decide to change to a program that prepares you for an occupational license as defined under Texas Occupations Code 58.001, in accordance with state law, please be advised of the following:

1. An individual who has been convicted of an offense may be ineligible for issuance of an occupational license upon completion of the educational program;
2. Each licensing authority that may issue an occupational license to an individual who completes an educational program must establish guidelines which state the reasons a particular crime is considered to relate to a particular license and any other criterion that affects the decisions of the licensing authority.
3. Local or county licensing authorities may issue additional guidelines related to criminal history. Applicants should contact their respective local or county licensing authority for more details.
4. A person may request a criminal history evaluation letter regarding the personal eligibility for a license issued by a licensing authority under Texas Occupations Code 53.102.

Note that the provisions of Chapter 53 of the Texas Occupations Code relating to the consequences of criminal conviction do not apply to licenses granted by the Supreme Court of Texas, law enforcement officers (Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1701), emergency medical services personnel (Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 773), or persons licensed by the Texas Medical Board, the Texas State Board of Pharmacy, the State Board of Dental Examiners, or the State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners that have been convicted of a felony under Chapter 481 or 483 or Section 485.003 of the Texas Health and Safety Code. If you are seeking one of these licenses, please be aware that other provisions of the law may be applicable relating to the consequences of criminal conviction.

All applicants to and enrollees of Texas Southmost College are encouraged to review all applicable eligibility requirements related to the respective occupational license. Questions related to eligibility requirements should be directed to the applicable licensing authority.