Frequently Asked Questions

If you are applying to multiple community college partners, you may apply to ATB for consideration with each partner. You will be required to submit a separate application and application fee for each partner.

ATB application deadlines vary for each community college partner. Unless you are required to apply to both TU and the community college at the same time, you are welcome to wait to apply to TU ATB until you've received your admission decision from each partner.

Yes, applicants may apply to the ATB option before their prerequisite courses are finished. Admission would be contingent upon completion of all prerequisites before the entry semester begins. Official transcripts are required to show proof of completed prerequisites. If you are interested in applying but will not complete all prerequisites by the start of the program, please contact the Academic Program Manager at nursingdco@towson.edu to discuss your options. It may be possible for you to complete them as corequisites or adjust your start term.

Application to and enrollment at TU is required if admitted to the university. However, applying to TU is not required at the time you apply to ATB. If you are admitted to the Towson ATB option, you will receive instructions to complete the university admissions process. The university admission process includes another application, an application fee, and specific responses to certain questions on the university application. We strongly advise that you do not apply to the university until after you have been admitted to the ATB option.

International students are welcome to apply to ATB but may require an adjusted or extended plan of study. F-1 visa holders will keep their SEVIS record with their community college until completion of the associate degree. This means that F-1 visa requirements will be based on your community college enrollment for most of your time in ATB. Your TU enrollment will only be affected by F-1 visa requirements after you have completed the associate degree and are exclusively enrolled at TU. Due to the F-1 visa requirements related to online coursework and full-time enrollment, we cannot guarantee that you would be able to complete the final TU courses in one term or enroll full-time (12+ credits) only in ATB coursework. There is a chance that additional elective courses may be required at TU to remain in compliance with visa requirements.

If admitted to ATB, you will be assigned an an ATB advisor at TU who can assist you with plan of study adjustments to support visa compliance. Please note that the nursing department follows the guidance of the ISSO to support international students' progression toward graduation. However, as the visa holder, you will still be responsible for understanding the enrollment requirements and restrictions of your visa.

Courses may be offered in three formats: face-to-face, online, or hybrid (combination of face-to-face/online learning). We do not offer an evenign or weekend option. If a course is offered in the face-to-face or hybrid format, classes will be held during the day. Most online nursing courses are asynchronous, meaning they do not have a scheduled meeting time. If you need to complete schoolwork during evening or weekend hours, the asynchronous online format allows you the flexibility to plan your assignments and study times during those hours.

Currently a majority of ATB nursing courses are only offered fully online, with 1-2 courses requiring some in-person attendance. Required electives may be taken in the student's choice of course format.

Students may not make any changes to their plan of study without prior advisor approval. The ATB curriculum has been strategically designed to support student success. Students are expected to take courses as outlined in the plan of study relevant to your community college partner and start term. 

No. The Department of Nursing does not accept nursing transfer credits, and Towson University requires that a minimum of 30 units be completed at TU for the bachelor's degree. Because the ATB nursing curriculum is exactly 30 units, there is no space for transferring any coursework to reduce the number of courses required to graduate. More information about degree requirements is available in the Undergraduate Catalog.

Students may not switch between the the ATB and basic/pre-licensure options. Both options are screened, competitive programs with their own selective admission criteria and differing curricula. Admission to ATB does not guarantee admission to the basic/pre-licensure option. Students who are interested in moving to another option in the major must apply and meet the admission criteria.

Tuition and fees are assessed by the Student & University Billing Office. Your individual costs will vary depending on your residency classification, enrolled units per term, and the current university tuition and fees for each academic term.

Current tuition and fees are posted online for each academic term. These costs are subject to change on an annual basis. Students in the ATB option are typically charged the university's part-time tuition rate. ATB students only by TU for their TU enrollment; the community college will bill you separately for your community college enrollment according to their own billing policies. ATB tuition and fees can be estimated by referring the TU units in each term in the plan of study (see information packets on the Admissions & Partnerships page).

The cost of course materials will vary by course. Additional costs may be incurred in the penultimate term of the program in order to comply with clinical practice requirements for the practicum course. Estimated costs related to practicum are posted in the Student Handbook for the Degree Completion Option.

All federal and state financial aid is processed through the TU Financial Aid Office. TU uses placeholder courses on the TU transcript based on a student's reported community college enrollment. This allows the TU Financial Aid Office to calculate a student's aid based on their overall enrollment at both schools.

Students enrolled in the ATB option can apply for all available federal and state undergraduate grant, scholarship, and loan programs. ATB students are also eligible to apply for departmental or institutional scholarships or grants at both institutions. Any institutional scholarships or grants from the partner community college will be reported to TU and counted against the total aid a student may receive.

While the nursing department does not have scholarships only for ATB students, there are many departmental scholarships available with varying eligibility criteria. RN-BS students may be eligible to apply for departmental scholarships if they meet the eligibity criteria.

Students must be currently enrolled in the nursing program to be able to apply for departmental scholarships. Each year, nursing students are able to apply for departmental scholarships each year between December 31st to March 31st. The available scholarships will be shared through the program's organization page in Blackboard annually during the application period.

There are many other scholarship resources for nursing students outside of the department. We encourage you to refer to our Scholarships resource page for more information.

Enrollment requirements and aid availability vary by financial aid program. Some aid programs may allow for pro-rated awards for less than full-time enrollment.

You can learn more about financial aid options and eligibility requirements via the Financial Aid Office. The nursing department cannot advise on financial aid options.