What Is NursingCAS? How the Nursing Application Service Works

Who runs it

NursingCAS is the American Association of Colleges of Nursing's centralized application service, operated in partnership with Liaison International, according to its about page. It covers programs at many levels, from pre-licensure to graduate. The 2026–2027 cycle opened August 6, 2026.

What it collects

• Your academic history. You enter each college course yourself, from your transcripts.
• Official transcripts. Your schools send them by mail or electronically through Parchment or the National Student Clearinghouse.
• References. You enter each person's name and email, and NursingCAS emails them a link. They submit it themselves.
• Program materials. Each program can add its own questions, essays, documents, and prerequisite checks.
• Test scores. Official GRE, TOEFL, and IELTS scores go to NursingCAS. For the TEAS or HESI, follow each program's instructions.

The work you do once—coursework and transcripts—carries across programs. The program pages do not, so budget time for each school's questions and essays. Our essay guide and references guide cover those pieces.

What it costs

For 2026–2027, NursingCAS lists $70 for your first undergraduate program and $55 for each additional program. Graduate programs are $90 and $60. Some programs charge a supplemental fee on top. A limited number of income- and service-based fee waivers exist; you must request one before you submit, and it covers only the first program. Fees change by cycle, so confirm on the official fee page.

How to tell if your school uses it

Search the NursingCAS participating-schools directory, then confirm on the program's own admission page. Many community-college ADN programs use their own college application instead. If a program is not listed, apply the way its nursing page says—not through NursingCAS.

Submitted, complete, verified

These words mean different things. Submitted means you clicked submit and paid. Complete means NursingCAS has everything it needs, including transcripts, fees, and references. Verified means NursingCAS has checked your entered coursework against your transcripts and calculated your GPAs.

Per its submission guide, you must submit and pay before the program's deadline, but your application is not reviewed until transcripts, payments, and references arrive. Verification happens in order and can take up to 10 business days.

Common mistakes that slow things down

• Ordering transcripts late. Your registrar needs time, then NursingCAS says posting can take up to five business days after they receive it (transcript guide).
• Rushing course entry. Enter every course exactly as it appears on the transcript. Mismatches cause questions later.
• Submitting on deadline day. You may beat the deadline and still sit incomplete while transcripts and references catch up.
• Waiting for a missing-reference alert. NursingCAS says it does not notify you about missing references. Check the portal yourself.
• Asking for a fee waiver after submitting. It has to come first.
• Assuming every school uses it. Some of your programs may need a separate application.

Stuck on a specific screen? The NursingCAS applicant help center has step-by-step answers, and the NursingCAS site lists current cycle dates. For everything outside the portal, use our application checklist and timeline, or track each school in My Journey.