What Our Aspen Preceptor Placement Service Costs
Pricing here is for our independent matching service, not your Aspen University tuition, which is billed separately by the school. We give you a clear, written quote up front, and you pay only when we match you with a preceptor and an approved site.
How we price a placement
We do not publish a single flat price because no two Aspen field experiences are alike. Sourcing a master’s-prepared Registered Nurse for an MSN Informatics practicum in an outpatient HIM department is a different search than finding a Public Health preceptor in a county health department or a clinical-immersion site for the DNP. Instead of a misleading sticker number, we quote each student individually after a short intake call so the figure you see reflects the actual work involved in your match.
Because we are an independent service and are not affiliated with or endorsed by Aspen University, our fee is entirely separate from anything the university charges. It covers our work: identifying a qualified, specialty-matched preceptor, securing an approved field-experience site, and helping you move the required paperwork through Aspen’s Office of Field Experience.
What drives your quote
A handful of honest factors shape the number you receive:
Quote drivers
- Specialty. Each MSN track points to different site types, Forensic Nursing toward emergency departments, correctional facilities, or a medical examiner’s office; Public Health toward local or state health departments and school nurse offices; Nursing Education toward staff-education or continuing-education settings; Informatics toward ambulatory and HIM informatics departments; Administration & Management toward acute-care, skilled-nursing, or Magnet facilities. Narrower specialties take more searching.
- Program level. A DNP immersion placement, with its 1,000 clinical-practice immersion hours and clinical-site-plus-preceptor requirement, differs from a 120-hour MSN practicum or an RN-to-MSN match.
- Location. Demand, preceptor availability, and site density vary by region, so where you live affects how hard the search is.
- In-person vs. virtual. You can choose physical placement (a real preceptor at an approved in-person site) or our virtual practicum service with a remote preceptor. The two paths involve different sourcing.
- Timeline. A standard search and a compressed, need-it-soon search are not the same lift. Tell us your course start date and we factor it in.
What the fee does, and does not, cover
Our fee covers the placement work: matching you with a preceptor whose qualifications fit your specialty (for MSN, a Registered Nurse holding a master’s degree with relevant expertise, affiliated with the practicum site), confirming an approved site, and guiding you through the documents Aspen requires, the Practicum Site Agreement, Preceptor Agreement, Student Profile, and the path to your Practicum Approval Letter before your practicum course begins. We help with practicum hours and approval logistics, including how hours are logged in ProjectConcert.
It does not cover Aspen’s own costs. We do not state or estimate your tuition, fees, or any university charges, those come directly from Aspen. We also assist rather than guarantee: like Aspen’s OFE, we cannot promise a placement outcome, and many students ultimately use their own workplace. What we promise is real, persistent effort on your behalf.
How to get your quote
The fastest way to a number is to tell us your program (BSN, RN-to-BSN field experience, MSN, RN-to-MSN, or DNP), your specialty if you have one, your location, and whether you prefer in-person or virtual. We come back with a written quote, no obligation. Reach us through the contact page or start a preceptor search and we’ll handle the intake from there.
Students tell us the preceptor hunt can drag on for months when they’re left to do it alone. That’s the problem we exist to solve. Get your quote, let us run the search, and you pay only when we match you with a qualified preceptor and an approved site.
Frequently asked questions
Does this fee include my Aspen University tuition?
No. Our fee is only for our independent placement service. We are not affiliated with Aspen University, and your tuition and any university charges are billed separately by Aspen. We never state or estimate those figures.
Why isn’t there a flat price listed?
Because cost depends on your specialty, program level, location, whether you want in-person or virtual placement, and your timeline. We give you an individualized written quote after a short intake instead of a misleading single number.
When do I pay?
You pay when we match you with a qualified, specialty-matched preceptor and an approved field-experience site. We assist with the search and the required Aspen paperwork; we do not charge for a placement we haven’t delivered.
Does virtual placement cost the same as in-person?
Not necessarily. Physical placement and our virtual practicum service involve different sourcing work, so the path you choose is one of the factors in your quote. We offer both for all programs.
Can you guarantee a placement for the fee?
No. Like Aspen’s Office of Field Experience, we assist rather than guarantee; students remain responsible for securing their placement, and many use their own workplace. We commit to genuine, persistent effort and you pay only when matched.
Get your Aspen practicum handled.
Tell us your program and specialty. We’ll map your field-experience requirement and start the search, in person or virtual. No payment until you’re matched.