University of Providence Acceptance Rate, GPA, and Admission Requirements

The University of Providence's Vander Werff BSN Program offers a direct entry admission option available exclusively to freshman applicants who are admitted to UP as a pre-nursing major. This pathway, if granted, allows entry into nursing coursework without competing through the priority ranking system that UP deploys when nursing applicant volume exceeds available seats. Not every eligible student who applies as pre-nursing receives direct entry status - it is selectively awarded based on academic profile - but students who apply as pre-nursing freshmen are at least considered for it, while students who first enroll in other majors and then try to transfer into nursing must go through the full competitive priority ranking process. Apply early in the admissions cycle with the strongest possible transcript, make clear in your application materials that nursing is your primary goal, and follow up with the admissions office specifically to confirm whether your profile qualifies for direct entry consideration. This decision is made at admission and cannot be revisited after enrollment.

The University of Providence competes in NAIA athletics including basketball, soccer, softball, track and field, and men's ice hockey - multiple sports across both the Frontier Conference and Cascade Collegiate Conference. NAIA schools with small rosters have significantly more scholarship flexibility per athlete than most NCAA Division I or II programs, and UP coaches recruit nationally for talent that would never receive an offer at a larger school. If you are a high school student-athlete in any sport UP sponsors, contact the head coach directly - not the admissions office first - and send a recruiting profile, film, and your academic information. Ask specifically about scholarship availability for incoming athletes in your position or event. At $31,000+ tuition, even a partial athletic scholarship of $4,000?$8,000 per year meaningfully reduces the four-year cost. Student reviews note that UP professors are accommodating toward student-athletes for away games - ask the coach directly about this culture before committing, and ask current student-athletes about the academic-athletic workload balance specifically in your intended program.

The Sister Mary Loretta Gately Scholarship provides up to $10,000 annually, renewable for four years, for newly admitted students who are not participating in athletics, hold a 3.0 GPA or better, demonstrate leadership and service in their high school, community, and church, and have a desire to serve in a faith-based capacity after graduation. The application - separate from the general admissions file - requires a personal essay, a letter of recommendation from a pastor from the student's Catholic community, a second letter from a lay person, and an interview. The February 1 deadline is hard, with the Fall 2026 cycle having opened October 1, 2025. To maintain the Gately Scholarship, recipients must remain full-time, participate in campus ministry, live on campus, and maintain satisfactory academic progress through graduation. Students who are Catholic, non-athletes, have a genuine service background and faith-motivated career trajectory, and can satisfy the on-campus residency requirement should treat this scholarship application as a parallel priority alongside the admissions application - not a post-acceptance afterthought.

All nursing applicants at the University of Providence must complete two separate applications: the standard UP undergraduate application and, separately, a NursingCAS application to complete the clinical program review. These two systems have different deadlines that do not always align, and failing to complete the NursingCAS application on time means the university's general admissions decision does not result in nursing program consideration. Students with prior criminal history, drug or alcohol violations, or background issues should consult the Montana Board of Nursing's discretionary review policy before applying - the Board has independent authority to deny NCLEX-RN examination eligibility regardless of program completion, and this information is not disclosed at UP's admissions stage. If alcohol or drug violations exist in your background, contact the Montana Board of Nursing directly for a pre-application advisory review before investing in the full two-application nursing process. The nursing program reserves the right to limit cohort size, and meeting all minimums does not guarantee admission.