You can have a rewarding career providing basic care for patients and clients in a range of healthcare settings if you train to become a CNA. When working as a nursing assistant your responsibilities can include: bathing patients, assisting patients with grooming, feeding patients, changing patients who are incontinent, helping patients walk and monitoring vital signs (just to name a few duties).
It is not possible to work as a certified nursing assistant until you select and enroll in a training program that has been approved by the state in which you are planning to work. You will need to complete all segments of the training program including the theoretical and clinical instruction. There will be a certification exam that you will need to pass before receiving certification. You can search for free cna training if you are concerned about affording the tuition.
Scholarships and Grants
Nursing assistant training programs are often available through community colleges, technical schools and other educational facilities. You should locate a few cna training programs at colleges in your area. Contact the school to determine if the nursing assistant training courses make you eligible to apply for scholarships. You can receive free cna training if your scholarship covers the entire price of tuition and expenses.
When attending a certified nursing assistant program at a college or university, you might qualify to apply for financial aid in the form of grants. This is particularly true for schools that offer you credit hours for training as a CNA. The financial aid office of a school can help you determine if you can apply for financial assistance.
The CNA/HHA Scholarship Program provides scholarships for eligible students who might otherwise not be able to afford tuition and fees associated with training to become certified nursing assistants or home health aides. These scholarships are often available through healthcare facilities and other certified nursing assistant training providers.
Nursing Care Facilities
It is often possible to access CNA training through nursing care facilities. You might very well be able to receive your training for free through one of these facilities. Medicare and Medicaid certified facilities must employ high quality nursing assistants. In order to attract potential nursing assistants, these facilities will hire individuals to train as certified nursing assistants. The individuals will sign a contract agreeing to work for the nursing home for a specific amount of time (often 6 months to one year) as long as their training fees are paid for them.
Many nursing care facilities will hire men and women who have just recently received their nursing assistant certification. In most states, these healthcare providers will reimburse people for the fees they paid to receive their nursing assistant training and certification.
Employment and Training Programs
You can receive free cna training as a result of financial assistance from employment and training programs in your state or local area. For example, individuals who are unemployed can often receive assistance paying for training programs (such as CNA courses). Many states offer training opportunities for displaced homemakers as well. These programs help to ensure that individuals who are not currently working can access training for a new career. Contact unemployment agencies, income assistance office and other programs in your area to search for help receiving free cna training.
If your state offers Offices of Adult and Continuing Education or The Workforce and Continuing Education Departments, you should contact local offices if you are looking for cna programs. There are often programs through these departments that offer help with training expenses. You are more likely to be able to receive help if you have little or no income, are a single parent or are facing some other type of hardship.
State Board of Nursing
Call the State Board of Nursing if you want to start a career as a certified nursing assistant but are unsure of how to finance your training. Many states offer special programs to help individuals afford entry-level training for healthcare and other occupations. The State Board of Nursing should be able to help direct you to any programs in your state. They should also be able to direct you to cna training providers in your area that offer free cna training.
The State Board of Nursing can direct you to the Nursing Aide Registry or other agencies in your state if they do not handle information pertaining to nursing assistants (though in most states the board of nursing does deal with nursing assistant information). Contact these agencies as well if you are looking for free cna training options.
Your Employer
If you are working in a healthcare setting and wish to start a career as a cna, you should talk to your employer. If your employer utilizes certified nursing assistants, the employer might be willing to pay for your training. This is especially true if you are a motivated and hard-working individual. It is likely that you will be required to continue working for your employer as a CNA for an agreed upon amount of time if they pay for your training.
*By taking your time to look into various cna training options, you should be able to find opportunities for free cna training.
Updates
Free CNA Training available in Pennsylvania
This is provided by St Annes home who have an earn while you learn program. You must commit to working for them for a fixed period after getting certified. The only catch is that there’s only 12 positions available. Get more info here: http://www.stannehome.org/career_opportunities.asp
(thank you to Arnold Maendel for letting us know about this opportunity)
i was interested in knowing if there were any free cna classes around hagerstown md
Hi Tiffany,
This might help: http://cnatraininghelp.com/free-cna-training/maryland/
Well do you know of any in the Detroit area…
See our page for Free CNA training in Detroit
New in the area and need to be certified already have experience.
Hi Joycelyn,
Check out the pages on the left to see the different free options in your particular state.
I was wanting to start training for a cna how would i be able to start that.
Teri,
You can read the introductory part on our main page: http://cnatraininghelp.com/
Specifically, check out the post on http://cnatraininghelp.com/introduction-to-cna-training/
I was looking for a nursing home that has these class”s available in my area Columbus INdiana? any onfo would be great…
Hi Cynthia,
Check out our dedicated page for Free CNA training in Indiana
Want to take online cna classes. I live in mussouri. What online course do I go to?
I had my CNA but I let it expire without realizing it. I was wondering where and when there are more classes in the Syracuse, Ny area?
Hi Helen,
check out our page on CNA classes in new York
hi i am nterested in knowing if there were any free cna classes in delaware conty community college or around philadelphia pa
and am new in usa from another contry there is any chance forn to be cna certified
Hi,
I’m not really sure if there were. You can however check out the options in Delaware for free CNA training by clicking the link on the right.
I am looking for free cna classes n colorado.Preferbaly in Aurora.
Check out our dedicated page for Free CNA training in Aurora, Colorado
Hi Christina,
Have you checked out our dedicated page for Free CNA training in Colorado? You can go to your preferred state page by selecting it from the navigation on the right.
i need to find free cna classes in houston tx 77088 that fit my work hours 230pm to 1100pm how do i go about doing that. are who i need to contact,i perfer working @ a hospital that pays you to work for them but i dont know who to talk to about it
Hi Evelyn, Did you check out the specific Free CNA training page for Houston?
i would like to become a cna i have been doning direct care work for five years but i dont have money to go does any one know how i can get help? please help me i really want this!
If you’ve been working in a nursing care facility, they might be willing to sponsor you to get certified.
nedd a phone # to contact and ask questions
I am unterested in your CNA on-line certification
Hi Rosemary, we don’t provide CNA training from our website. We provide information on getting Free CNA training at different facilities accross the US. If you have any questions, feel free to use the contact page to send it over. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide call support but we’ll do our best to get back to you with an aswer as soon as we can.
I am 17 and was wondering if I could take evening CNA classes in Fayetteville Arkansas. I have talked to a nursing home that is willing to sponsor me, but I didn’t know if I could do it before I turned 18.
Your age shouldn’t be a problem Amanda. Congratulations for wanting to become a CNA!
hi my name is monica i really want to take cna class but i can’t effort because i m a single mother not working right i am to rise a Struggling to raise a child on my own i was wondering what i can do get my cna license.
Hi Monica,
You can check out our Free CNA training page for your state to see if there are any available free training options. if not, your best bet is to contact a nursing care facility and work in exchange for free training.
I was wondering if they had any free cna classes around des moines iowa
Hi,
Check out our dedicated page for Free CNA Training in Des moines Iowa
i was wondering if there were any free cna training in jamaica ny
Hi, Check out our dedicated page for New York
I am interested in any free or employer sponsored CNA training classes in Boise, Idaho, can you help?
Currently, The only available option for Idaho is to contact nursing care facilities and see if they’ll hire you and pay for your CNA training.
hi i was wondering about cna training near madison fl or valdosta ga
Hi Belinda,
Did you check out our dedicated page for CNA classes in Florida?
i cant find any CNA that is free in federalway wa…im stuggling.. i cannot get finicail aid once again because the apllication was imcomplete.which i do not understand because i had alot of help doing that,,,or if u knw any hospiatl that would train me so i can work my way up to an RN..thanks
Hi,
Have you tried contacting nursing care facilities and the like near your area? They are your best bet for free training. You could also opt to join the Job Corps if you’re able to.
I recently moved to eutaw alabama…I’m unemployed and looking to take free cna classes.
Hi Keisha,
You might want to check out our dedicated page for free CNA classes in Alabama
I was wondering are there any nursing homes in the Mississippi area offering Free CNA Training.
Usually, the ones that might offer free trainign are the ones with active vacancies. That’s a good place to start. Also check out our dedicated page for free CNA classes in mississippi
im lookin for free CNA traing in Norfolk,VA PLEASE HELP!!!