Earn a Salary, Grow Your Career
Through our partnership with Vermont State University (VTSU), our RN Pathway Program allows full-time UVM Health LPN employees of our Vermont partner locations the opportunity to continue earning a salary while studying to complete their Associate of Science in Nursing degree, leading to eligibility for RN licensure.
Upon successful completion, you will serve as a Registered Nurse at your respective partner organization for two years.
Program Details
All candidates must:
- Currently work at least 72 scheduled hours per pay period as an LPN at a Vermont partner location within UVM Health (part-time/per diem employees are not eligible).
- Be in good standing with no corrective actions above a counseling level.
- Must commit to a Registered Nurse position at their respective partner location upon successful completion of program.
Please note that priority acceptance into this program will be given to students currently enrolled in the UVM Health LPN Pathway program and who have been accepted for Direct Progression for the RN program at VTSU.
- VTSU Applications Open: September of each calendar year
- VTSU Application Deadline: December of each calendar year
- UVM Health Applications Open: January of each calendar year
- UVM Health Application Deadline: March 1 of each calendar year
- UVM Health Cohort Selection: April 1 of each calendar year
- VTSU Classes Begin: August of each calendar year
- Current participants in the LPN Program at Vermont State University should follow direct progression instructions provided by the University.
- All other qualified applicants should apply to the RN Program at Vermont State University
- Apply for financial aid at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa
Applications are accepted Jan 1 to March 1 of each calendar year.
RN Pathway Program applications will only be accepted during the defined application period. You must apply from a UVM Health account.
Please have ready the following items to upload with your application:
- Résumé
- Cover letter
- Leader Confirmation of Support: Leaders must complete the electronic UVM Health Pathway Program Leader Approval Form prior to the application deadline. It is the applicant's responsibility to coordinate with their leader to ensure this is completed.
* Please note that the UVM Health Pathway Program Leader Approval Form must be accessed from a UVM Health account. - Vermont State University RN Program Acceptance Letter
Current LPN Pathway Program Participants
You will still need to apply to the Pathway Program to confirm that you have been accepted for the Direct Progression year at VTSU and to confirm that your leader(s) have approved you to continue in the program for a second year. Please note that your application documents will be slightly abbreviated.
Please submit:
- Confirmation of Direct Progression acceptance
- Leader Confirmation of Support: Leaders must complete the electronic UVM Health Pathway Program Leader Approval Form prior to the application deadline. It is the applicant’s responsibility to coordinate with their leader to ensure this is completed.
*Please note that the UVM Health Pathway Program Leader Approval Form must be accessed from a UVM Health account.
Frequently Asked Questions
This program will follow the traditional academic schedule as defined by VTSU. Participants may choose which site they desire to complete their studies and must be aware that they may be required to travel for classes and/or clinicals.
While enrolled in the RN program at VTSU, students will work their regular job - 48 hours per pay period. Students will receive pay for an additional 24 hours per pay period to allow time for classwork, lab/clinical instruction and studying.
Students are responsible for paying all tuition and fees. For graduates who commit to working at their respective partner location for two years, they will reimbursed in one-half increments for all out-of-pocket tuition, fee and books costs beginning one year after graduation.
If a student has previously completed the UVM Health LPN Pathway Program, the two working years will be in addition to their three-year working commitment for the LPN Pathway Program and the reimbursement for the RN Pathway Program will occur during those years.
Being a full-time employee in a UVM Health Vermont partner location is a requirement for application and enrollment.
Call 800-722-9922 and choose option 3 to talk with one of our talent acquisition partners about full-time job opportunities at one of our UVM Health partner locations in Vermont.
In order to be eligible, you need to be a full-time employee.
At this time, the RN Pathway Program is only available to full-time employees of UVM Health partner locations in Vermont.
Possibly, depending on the timeframe and your grades. VTSU will review the courses and grades on your transcript to determine whether they meet the requirements for this program. If you do need to retake courses, check out Pathfinder, which is a program offered by UVM Health in partnership with Community College of Vermont and will support employees who are seeking to enter a UVM Health Pathway Program to begin taking prepaid preparatory, prerequisite and corequisite courses.
You will need to complete the RN Pathway Program curriculum through VTSU (coursework and lab/clinical instruction) in its entirety. Please contact VTSU Admissions for specific questions related to your academic history.
The amounts paid under this Program have tax implications. Amounts that are paid to your educational institution for tuition, fees, books, supplies or other expenses constitute payments under an educational assistance program described in Section 127 of the Internal Revenue Code and are therefore excludable up to $5,250 per calendar year. Amounts paid in excess of $5,250 per year are taxable income and are subject to applicable withholding taxes.
These taxes will be withheld from your regular earnings, resulting in a reduction to your usual paycheck. To avoid unforeseen hardships, the reduction should be planned for, and if necessary, additional funding sources such as loans should be sought.
Please consult your personal tax advisor, as UVM Health cannot provide you with individualized tax advice.
Each VT UVM Health partner will determine the number of seats it can support annually. Partner-specific waitlists may be utilized depending on eligible applicant numbers. Application materials and interviews will determine how employees are initially placed on the partner waitlists. Should a seat become available, the next applicant on that partner waitlist will be contacted.
Individuals who do not meet the initial program deadline for consideration may submit a complete application for their UVM Health partner’s waitlist. After the initial program deadline, employees applying directly to the waitlist will be reviewed in the order that applications are received, should seats become available. No waitlist applications will be accepted or reviewed for after July 1.
Our Pathway Programs are designed to support employees through the entirety of the academic program. Off-cycle enrollments will not be accepted.
Questions?
Please contact:
Rebecca Aldrich, Workforce Development Program Manager or Megan Foster, Workforce Development Program Manager