Second Degree Accelerated Nursing (Express & Flex Track) Programs
Second Degree Accelerated Nursing Programs
The Second Degree Accelerated BSN track is designed for college graduates with a bachelor's degree in another discipline who wish to embark on a career in Nursing. Students may choose to enroll in a 14-Month Express Track or a 23-Month Flex Track.
The Office of Financial Assistance is here to support you in identifying a financing plan that will work best for you as you navigate this exciting career change!
- Complete the FAFSA at studentaid.gov
- Villanova School Code: 003388
When your FAFSA is processed by the Department of Education, you may be selected for additional review. The additional documents will be submitted to the Office of Financial Assistance, and we will notify you via e-mail if additional information or action is required.
NOTE: Please do not complete a CSS Profile® as the Second Degree Accelerated Nursing Programs do not qualify for the institutional need-based Villanova Grant. Limited institutional scholarship opportunities are available through the M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing. For more information regarding both institutional and outside scholarship opportunities, please visit their Funding Opportunities Webpage.
Since the Second Degree Accelerated Nursing Programs are a Second bachelor’s degree program, students are not eligible for any federal or state grant funding. Eligible students will be reviewed for the Federal Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans.
Students in the Second Degree Accelerated Nursing Program enter the program at either Junior or Senior-level status based on the number of credits accepted during the Transfer Credit Evaluation. In accordance with the federal guidelines, federal loan funds are set to disburse equally amongst the semesters that comprise the Standard Academic Year.
The summer semester is the beginning of the academic year at Villanova. During academic years in which the student is enrolled at least half-time in the summer semester, Villanova University utilizes the Borrower Based Academic Year so that students can maximize their Federal Direct Loan borrowing.
In partnership with Nelnet Campus Commerce, Villanova provides payment options that help you afford your education. The Monthly Payment Plan allows you to divide tuition and other expenses into smaller monthly payments. Simply visit Nelnet for more information.
Payment plans are available for the Fall, Spring and Summer semesters. Monthly payment plans allow you to spread your educational expenses over smaller monthly installments.
Through our experience, we have found that many students find it convenient to pay for college expenses through a monthly payment plan, which we offer exclusively through NelNet.
NelNet is a company that works with many colleges and universities to offer monthly payment options to students instead of paying in one lump sum.
Payments are made through an automatic monthly withdrawal from a bank account or credit card. The plan is term based and enables you to pay for all or part of your charges for a $45 enrollment fee.
To learn more please visit NelNet. You can also contact NelNet customer service at 1-800-609-8056. The hours of operation are Monday through Friday 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. and Saturday 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
The Federal Direct Loans are funded by the US Department of Education through Villanova University and are managed by federal loan servicers, under the supervision of the Department of Education.
A Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loan is a loan that parents of Dependent Students can apply for to help finance the student's education. This loan will be in the parent’s name to reduce the overall loan debt incurred by the student. The parent(s)’ creditworthiness is considered in determining their eligibility. If the parent of a Dependent student is denied for the PLUS Loan, the student may be eligible for additional Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan funds.
The maximum amount that can be borrowed is the cost of education less all other financial aid received. Loans are not based on need but rather on the borrower's creditworthiness.
Interest rates on federal student loans are set by federal law. The Department of Education will release the upcoming year's interest rate on July 1.
All loans disbursed between 7/1/23 through 6/30/24 will be subject to a fixed interest rate of 8.05%.
All loans disbursed between 7/1/24 through 6/30/25 will be subject to a fixed interest rate of 9.08%.
To view how the interest is calculated on the loan, please visit: https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/types/loans/interest-rates
For the most up to date information please visit studentaid.gov.
Before the loan funds are sent to the school (disbursed), a percentage of the loan amount is kept as an origination fee. Therefore the amount that school will receive is less than the amount borrowed, however you are responsible for repaying the entire amount borrowed and not just the amount received by the school.
Generally loans funds are disbursed twice a year: one-half for the Fall semseter and the other half for the Spring semester. Therefore an origination fee would be assessed from the 2 disbursements.
The US Department of Education charges a loan fee of 4.228 percent for loans 1st disbursed on or after October 1, 2020. This fee is deducted proportionately from each disbursement of your loan.
For parents of dependent undergraduate students, repayment normally begins within 60 days after the loan has been fully disbursed. Parents may request an in-school deferment of repayment until after the student's graduation during the PLUS Loan application process.
- A completed FAFSA must be on file for the student
- Go to https://studentaid.gov to complete the Direct PLUS Loan application*.
- For an Undergraduate student, the parent will need to sign in using their FSA ID and Password
- Complete and sign the MPN at https://studentaid.gov.
*NOTE: Your loan is not complete and will not be certified by the Office of Financial Assistance until ALL of the above steps have been completed.
If you have any questions about the Federal Direct PLUS or Federal Direct Grad PLUS Loan, please send us an email with your question, name, and Villanova University number to finaidloan@villanova.edu.
Master Promissory Note
All borrowers seeking a Direct PLUS Loan must complete a Master Promissory Note (MPN) with the US Department of Education. Through a Direct PLUS Loan MPN, you may receive multiple PLUS loans over a maximum 10 year period. You have to complete the promissory note only once. Thereafter, all you need to do is supply the amount you want to borrow each year and successfully complete the credit-check process. An MPN must be completed for each student enrolled.
If borrowing a Direct PLUS loan with an endorser, please note that a new MPN will need to be signed each academic year.
You may complete your Direct PLUS MPN at https://studentaid.gov.
*Credit Check
When you apply for a Direct PLUS Loan, the Department of Education will check your credit history. To be eligible for a Direct PLUS Loan, you must not have an adverse credit history. If you are found to have an adverse credit history, you may still borrow a Direct PLUS Loan if you get an endorser who does not have an adverse credit history
A private educational loan from a bank or lending institution can be a useful resource in meeting the “gap” of expenses that other sources of aid do not cover. Applications for these loans are available directly through the lending institution. Once approved for an alternative loan, the Office of Financial Assistance will review the loan for school certification, which includes confirming enrollment in the BSN-Express program, verifying the eligibility of the type of loan requested, and confirming that the borrowing amount requested fits into the academic year's cost of attendance.
Private Educational Loans are administered by private lenders and there are a variety of lending institutions that offer these.
You should first apply for a Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized Loan and then consider the Direct PLUS Loan (if the student is dependent) and then, if additional funding is needed, apply for one of these loans.
Please allow at least four weeks from the start of the application process to disbursement of funds due to numerous disclosures now required by lending institutions.
You may choose to use any lender that offers a Private Educational Loan. You may want to contact the bank, savings and loan, or credit union with whom you do business.
- Students and families will need to conduct research to find the best private educational loan to suit their needs. (i.e. identifying lenders who will approve loans for non-matriculated students, certificate programs, prior balances, etc.) Students apply directly through the lenders.
- Once approved for an alternative loan, the Office of Financial Assistance will review the loan for school certification. This process includes confirming enrollment and verifying the eligibility for the type of loan requested and the borrowing amount requested.
- Each aid applicant will receive a notice of eligibility from the Office of Financial Assistance.
- Loan funds will be disbursed in accordance with the disbursement schedule once all necessary paperwork has been completed.
The Office of Financial Assistance has selected a group of Preferred Lenders based on quality customer service, borrower benefits, and financing options. However, if you wish to use another lender that is not on this list, you may. As a borrower, you have the right to select any lender you choose.
ELM Select is an external webpage where you will be able to review and compare Villanova University’s Preferred Lender information, and apply for private loans.
The Office of Financial Assistance will continue to meet with lenders on a regular basis to examine new products, services, and benefits for our students to make sure we are providing the best options.
Notes: Due to the numerous disclosures required by the Department of Education, students need to remain in contact with their lender to ensure timely disbursement of funds. Applying for the loan late, or failure to complete required disclosures may delay your funds and possibly cause you to incur University late fees, if your bills are not paid on time.
Click here for more information on the Office of Financial Assistance Code of Conduct
FAQs
No, students in the Second Degree Accelerated Nursing Programs DO NOT complete the CSS Profile.
Other undergraduate (junior or senior year).
Yes, students who will be living off campus (not with a parent or relative), have a housing and food allocation included in their Cost of Attendance, which allows students to apply for financial assistance to cover their rent/mortgage, living expenses, and food. When the student’s total financial assistance exceeds the charges on their bill, this is known as a “credit balance” that a student can request to be issued to them by the Bursar’s Office via a Refund so that the student can cover their off-campus housing expenses.
Limited institutional scholarship opportunities are available through the M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing. For more information regarding both institutional and outside scholarship opportunities, please visit their Funding Opportunities Webpage. The College of Nursing would determine the amount of funding you may be eligible to receive and for which semesters the scholarship would be applied.
A transfer credit evaluation is a review of your academic transcripts by the M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing. Before your Federal Direct Loans can be certified, your transfer credit evaluation must be completed, as the amount of loan funding a student may receive is based upon their college grade level. For more questions regarding the transfer credit evaluation, please contact the M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing.
Unfortunately, no. The Federal Pell Grant is unavailable for students pursuing a second bachelor’s degree.
