PHX Reporter

The state of Arizona is investigating a nursing school at Aspen University in Phoenix, which could lead to closing the program to new students, CBS5 reported.

Angela Arnold, a student at the university, told the station school officials called a meeting for students who were scheduled to begin the program.

"They told us they had to close the nursing cohort and not accept any new students," Arnold said, according to CBS 5.

Details of the investigation have not been released because of state confidentiality laws, the station said. The state board was concerned that Aspen students had a higher failure rate for the NCLEX exam, which is required to become a nurse. Only 58% of students passed in 2021, far below the state's 80% state requirement, CBS5 said.

That leaves students in limbo.

"I was devastated; I cried for two days, and I didn't know what I was going to do because a lot of the colleges don't accept credits for the prereqs from the other colleges," Arnold said to CBS 5.

The university offered her enrollment at Aspen's other schools across the country or a 65% tuition discount if the school is able to accept new students in the future, Arnold said.

Those options don't work for Arnold, who works in the Valley and has a family, CBS 5 said.

"We paid all that money to do our prerequisites; we don't get that back, and now we have to pay even more money," Arnold said. "It's just not right."

The state has not taken action against the school yet, CBS 5 reported. The school's board has proposed a settlement that would allow the 800 students in the core nursing program to complete the course and take the nursing exam, but would not allow 700 students taking prerequisites to continue.

In a statement on Facebook, Aspen University President Cheri St. Arnauld said the school "is working with the Arizona Board of Nursing to remedy our mutual concerns as quickly and expeditiously as possible. We all recognize that the COVID pandemic has damaged the ability of nearly all academic institutions to meet minimum standards, much less excel. We intend to continue to work with the Board to ensure our program meets and exceeds the standards set by the state of Arizona."