Free Nurse Aide Training

If you want to become a CNA but don’t have the necessary funds to take the course you might be interested in finding free nurse aide training. This training will allow you to start a career path to a satisfying profession that not only provides inner satisfaction but also helps people. So, how do you go about finding free nurse aid training? That depends on your current employment and your desire to find the free money that is out there.

Employer Assistance

If you are currently employed in the healthcare field in any aspect, you may have the perfect opportunity to find assistance with the tuition for nurse’s aide programs. Many hospitals, convalescent facilities and some doctor’s offices will offer to pay for the CNA program if the employee has shown the aptitude to be a healthcare assistant and also agrees to work at the facility for a pre-arranged amount of time. Basically, you agree to work as a nursing assistant after you earn your degree for a few years and in return you get your CNA education free. This is a win-win situation for everyone involved.

If you aren’t already employed by a health care provider, don’t give up hope. Often, hospitals and nursing homes for the elderly find that they are in dire need of nursing assistants and so they will offer CNA classes and certification for new hires. You can usually find these opportunities in the classified ads; however, you shouldn’t be apprehensive about calling local hospitals and speaking with the employment office. These people may be able to tell you if and when they are going to be offering a CNA class and how you go about applying for the class.

State or Federal Funding

There are many state and federal programs that can be utilized to pay for CNA training. There are grants that will allow you to get into the CNA program and fulfill your dream of becoming a nursing assistant. You can apply for these programs on the Internet. Some of them may be based on need and others may be loans that you pay back after you complete your education. The Pell grant is one of the easiest grants to apply for and receive through the government. As a grant, it does not have to be repaid and can make a difference in being able to go to a CNE program and having to wait. Some of the places to look include:

• State Lottery Money – Many states have lotteries today that are being used to fund education.
• FAFSA:  FAFSA is the federal application for government funding. This one application will help with finding funding in various areas of the government. All students should complete the FAFSA in order to find out what they are eligible to receive.

Every state has different programs and funding options available and when combined with Federal possibilities are excellent options for finding free money.

Scholarships and Awards

You shouldn’t overlook the possibility of scholarships and award money to help finance nurse’s aide training. Many people overlook these opportunities because they think only students going to college can get them. However, there are nursing associations and nurse’s aide associations that could have scholarship money available to potential CNA students. Sometimes you can find essay contests that are used to determine who the scholarship money to and in other cases you may find that the awards are based on applications and interviews. Researching this topic on the Internet will provide more information on these types of awards.

Student Aid Office

Before you give up on your search for free money to help you get your CNA certificate you should contact the local CNA program and ask for an appointment with the financial aid office.  These are the people who know how to get funding for classes and can put you in touch with the right people and programs that can help with your tuition. Don’t give up just because you have trouble finding funding on your own, reach out for the resources that are available.

It is possible to find free nurse aide training if you put your mind to doing so and don’t give up on the task. In the end, you will be rewarded with the beginning steps of a rewarding career.