Colorado: EKU is not enrolling online nursing students
EKU is not accepting Colorado residents into any of its online nursing programs, and its page says EKU is not authorized to conduct clinical practicum in Colorado. The MSN licensure table, which covers the FNP, PMHNP and both post-MSN certificates, marks Colorado Does Not Meet Requirements, as does the RN to BSN table, and the same statement closes the DNP. If you live in Colorado or plan to move there, talk to EKU's online advisors before you apply.
Studying with EKU from a nearby state?
If you live in a state where EKU enrolls, tell us your town, your EKU program and your clinical term.
What EKU says about Colorado
EKU puts Colorado among its SARA states with special restrictions and attaches two notes. The first is short: "EKU is not accepting nursing students into online programs." The second says EKU is "Not authorized to conduct clinical practicum in Colorado," adds that unpaid cooperative education experiences, internships, externships and field placements are prohibited, and points you to EKU's online advisors "for possible alternatives or if you have questions."
| EKU program | Colorado status | Licensure table |
|---|---|---|
| MSN FNP | Not enrolling | Does Not Meet Requirements |
| MSN PMHNP | Not enrolling | Does Not Meet Requirements |
| Post-MSN FNP and PMHNP certificates | Not enrolling | Does Not Meet Requirements |
| Post-master's DNP | Not enrolling | No DNP table |
| RN to BSN | Not enrolling | Does Not Meet Requirements |
EKU gives no reason for the restriction. The Colorado Board's education rule (3 CCR 716-1, Rule 1.2) defines a nursing education program as basic preparation for initial RN or LPN licensure, and nothing in it asks graduate or RN to BSN schools from other states for approval, so EKU itself is the only place to ask about Colorado.
What it means in four common situations
- You live in Colorado and want EKU's FNP or PMHNP. EKU's page rules this out while Colorado is home. EKU's online advisors are the people to ask about the alternatives its note mentions.
- You are an EKU student thinking about a move to Colorado. EKU warns that relocating after you apply or are admitted could lead to removal from the program, and Colorado clinicals are not authorized. Talk to your advisor before you commit to the move.
- You live in a neighboring state but work in Colorado. The practicum note reads as covering any clinical placement located in Colorado, so a workplace in Denver, Colorado Springs or Fort Collins would not serve as an EKU clinical site. Plan your clinicals in the state where you live.
- You plan to move to Colorado after graduating. EKU's MSN table says its program does not meet Colorado's licensure requirements, so check with the Colorado State Board of Nursing before counting on an EKU credential there.
NP practice and licensing in Colorado
AANP rates Colorado a full practice state with a condition on prescribing: to gain prescriptive authority, an NP must attest to 750 hours of practice under an agreement with a mentor, who may be a physician or an APRN. Colorado has used the Nurse Licensure Compact for RN licenses since January 2018 and has not enacted the APRN Compact.
Those rules shape NP practice for Colorado's own schools and graduates. For EKU students they sit behind EKU's statements: while EKU is not enrolling Colorado residents or authorized for Colorado practicum, no Colorado license or site changes the answer.
Who we can help
We help EKU students in the states where EKU enrolls and places them. Neighbors such as Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, New Mexico and Utah all show Meets Requirements in EKU's MSN table, so an EKU student living in one of them, including one who commutes into Colorado for work, can have a placement advisor find a preceptor on the home-state side and prepare what EKU needs. Wherever EKU does place you, Kentucky's rule keeps securing preceptors EKU's responsibility, with room for your input (the Kentucky rule).
If you are leaving Colorado for good, settle the timing and residency questions with EKU's advisors first; once EKU enrolls you from your new state, send us your details on the request form. The Wyoming and Utah guides cover two nearby states.
Questions EKU students ask
Could EKU's attestation process open the door for a Colorado resident?
EKU offers attestation to students in Does Not Meet or Unable to Determine states who intend to seek licensure where the program does meet requirements. Colorado differs because EKU also states it is not accepting nursing students into online programs there. Whether attestation has any role for a Colorado resident is a question for EKU's online advisors, not something to assume.
Is EKU's DNP open to Colorado residents?
No. EKU's Colorado note on online nursing programs covers the post-master's DNP too, even though the DNP leads to no license and has no licensure table. The practicum note also appears to rule out DNP experience hours at a Colorado organization. If you are a Colorado nurse leader, ask EKU's advisors directly.
Does Colorado's preceptor tax credit apply to EKU students?
Colorado's rural and frontier preceptor tax credit is a state income tax credit for eligible preceptors practicing in rural and frontier areas. HB22-1005 extended it and narrowed the students it covers to people studying at accredited colleges and universities in Colorado, so students of out-of-state programs do not appear to qualify, and EKU is not authorized for Colorado practicum in any case.
Where do I check whether EKU's Colorado status changes?
On EKU's state authorization page. It shows no date, but its metadata records an update on September 23, 2026, and our state authorization guide summarizes it. Check again before applying, and rely on EKU's own page and advisors rather than older third-party lists, which can disagree with EKU's table.
Related pages
Last checked 2026-09-25
We check these pages against EKU's own catalog, program pages and handbooks, and Kentucky's regulations. The current MSN Student Handbook, your course and your faculty have the final word.
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