New nursing program helps Surrey students get a head start on careers

Image: KPU NursingA new partnership program between Surrey Schools and Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) will allow Grade 12 students interested in pursuing a career in nursing to get a jump on their post-secondary education.

The program, called Nursing Prep, will begin in spring in 2025 and have Grade 12 students spend part of their final semester taking introductory post-secondary nursing courses through KPU.

“We’ve had a lot of students express interest in going into health care over the years and so offering a head start on something like nursing seemed to be a no-brainer,” said Georgina Hopps, career education coordinator for Surrey Schools.

According to Hopps, usually students must complete 30 credits of prerequisite academic courses before starting KPU’s nursing program. 

“This program will allow them to complete 14 of those 30 credits, essentially a complete semester of post-secondary, by the time they’ve graduated high school,” she explained.

Fees for the Nursing Prep career program are also covered, meaning there is no tuition for secondary students.

“So they get a head start on their career schooling and also get to save a semester’s worth of fees,” said Hopps. “They would still need to pay for supplies like textbooks, but the actual tuition fees are covered by the program.”

The Nursing Prep Program is currently accepting applications from students that will be in Grade 12 in spring 2025. Anyone interested in applying is asked to contact their school’s career facilitator for more information. The deadline to apply is April 12.

To learn more about the program, including prerequisites and course information, click here.

To learn more about KPU’s nursing program, click here.