The Need For CNA Scholarships

Warning: Undefined array key "random_ads_start_direction" in /home/u271425115/domains/healthcarecareersguide.com/public_html/wp-content/plugins/ad-injection/ad-injection.php on line 1087

Warning: Trying to access array offset on value of type bool in /home/u271425115/domains/healthcarecareersguide.com/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-word-count/public/class-wpwc-public.php on line 123

You should know from the onset that the spread of CNA scholarships is not very wide and are therefore quite limited.  It would mainly provide for those in real need; those who cannot afford to study at all. The reason is also that the Certified Nurse’s Aide program is not a truly accredited program. It therefore means that you cannot continue your studies to further levels or earn college credits by completing this course. Thus most scholarships are reserved for the higher levels of education and academic institutions.

This is therefore the reason why you cannot apply for the normal aide that is available. The reason is also that the program runs short courses, that are usually attached to the Associate or Bachelor’ Degree and are therefore not fully accredited. This should however not deter you from applying and making sure that you apply for the financial aide as well.

The fact that there are not a wide spread of scholarships available, should also motivate you to apply early. You need to make sure that you make use of the opportunities that are available as early as possible. These CNA scholarships opportunities are available throughout the year of your study, but you should attempt to secure it, as there would be many applications.

In most instances these scholarships are attached to the different institutions and you are able to apply for these, through them once you have been accepted. You might also complete the form with your academic application, thus, speeding up the process.

What you should keep in mind, though, is that this will give you a stepping-stone and the vital knowledge to later on continue your studies towards your nursing degree. A Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) plays a vital role in health care facilities, which means that there would be funds available for those who qualify to receive it, especially if you work for a health center or hospital.

What Scholarships Are Available

As said before, there are different education centers that would make CNA scholarships available for the students at their institutions, should you wish to qualify as a CNA. Once you have applied for the program, you need to make sure that you contact the financial officer in the Health Care Department to find out about what scholarships are available.

Some Types Of Available Grants And CNA Scholarships

The list of the different types of grants here is by no means a comprehensive list and you might find many other avenues through which to obtain funding for your studies. The following are just a few examples:

Private Grants

These are grants that would be provided by private firms, organisations, businesses and institutions. These include places like:

• Recruitment Agencies
• Long-term Medical Facilities
• Healthcare Facilities
• Nursing Homes

Opportunity Grants

This is a grant that would be calculated by looking at your income level. It is often the combined income in your home that is used as a means of calculating whether you would qualify. You may want to find out from the financial assistance department for what you would qualify at the institution at which you would like to study.

College Grants

You will find that there are quite a number of colleges that would be able to provide you with financial assistance as long as you do your studies with them. You should approach the financial department, as they would have all the information and application forms for you to fill out.

• Medical School CNA scholarships: There is also the possibility of getting funding from medical schools.  This is especially possible as there are some of the core courses offered to the CNA, although these are not the full courses.

• Federal Grants: These grants are mainly offered to those from the minority groups. These are usually the single parents, those from ethnic minority groups as well as women. It also provides specifically for short-term training programs and not for the long-term programs.

• State Grants:  These grants are available for the incentive programs conducted by the state (which you might reside in). You would have to work in an underprivileged area once you have completed your training in order for you to “pay back” the scholarship. You should keep in mind that this is not a loan, but it does come with agreements which is a work related contract.

• What you should try and do, in this instance, is to contact a hospital or healthcare facility you wish to work for. There are often state grants available for them to train workers and you might be chosen for this purpose. All you need to do, in this instance, would be to sign a contract to commit to working for them after your training (as stated above).

• Disability Grants:are provided to ‘vocational rehabilitation programs’, specifically if you are physically disabled.Other Grants:  Grants are also available to specific groups of people, but this would exclude the general public.
  • One of these is, for example, the U.S. Air Force Aid Society. If a family member is in the Air Force you might qualify for this particular grant.
  • The American Red Cross Society would grant persons funding only if they are economically impoverished.

Some Examples Are Of Colleges That Would

• Contribute a significant part of the fees toward a study program of a student, especially for their scholastic performance or the college would pay the full amount to cover all the costs.

• Also provide some assistance to those who are in financial need especially in starting and completing their study period. Tis would pertain to those who are not able to afford any studies.

• Provide financial assistance to those who are already enrolled in formal education programs or are already working as a Nursing Assistant.

• Also provide for those attending educational conferences or classes, or to those engaged in health educational efforts in unprivileged communities.

• Provide access to the funding of scholarships for specific purposes, which in this case would be the Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Scholarship Program.

Some Of The Aspects Provided For By The CNA Scholarships

The assistance is given to selected applicants of the Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Scholarship Program.

The expenses are allocated to:

• Course materials
• Books (usually have the same price tag everywhere)
• Background checks
• The first or initial certification exam. You would have to pay your own fees if you fail this initial examination.

Getting Hold Of A CNA Scholarships

• Once you decide that you would like to pursue the training as a CNA, you should start looking for grants and scholarships. You should start this, while you are busy completing your high school diploma. This is so that you can be assured of securing a scholarship.

• You should start the process of applying for those that are available as early as possible as you are not the only one applying for financial aid.

• The earlier you apply to complete your process, the sooner you will also know whether you scholarship application was successful.

• You should keep in mind that scholarships are also granted to those with:
  • An outstanding GPA (Grade Point Average) and
  • A fully completed application form with good references as well

Who Might Qualify?

Those who might qualify for these CNA scholarships and grants are those who:

• Need the assistance as a result of being underprivileged.

• Are in a job situation and the institution would pay for it.

• Have a good academic school record. This record will give you a good standing with the financial provider, as they would be able to determine that you would be successful and not waste the aide provided.

What the scholarship would also mean to the individual is that, in turn, the scholarship recipient would repay the input through work for the Health System that provided the scholarship. This is possible, in most instances, because the funding is made available by these systems. You therefore need not pay back a scholarship as you would with a loan. It would therefore be ideal to try and find a scholarship program as opposed to a loan.

The CNA scholarships are often offered in each semester and those who missed out in one semester would be able to apply in another. The funds that you would be able to apply for and what you might qualify for will differ from institution to institution. The best way to find out how much you would qualify for is to find out from the financial advisor of the Health Department specifically.

The Costing Of The CNA Scholarships

Most of the CNA tuition fees are between $400 and $2500. The scholarship, from the particular health institute will cover all or part of the fees. Depending on whether the institution has some accreditation, what type of educational facility it is, the length of the program, or your location, will dictate what the cost would be as well. It would, however, not cost more than a Bachelor’s or an Associate degree and they would therefore most likely offer more CNA scholarships.

Further cost that might be added would be that of the books and the course materials. There are a number of free CNA courses as well, but it would be a better option to complete a course for which you have paid. It will have more credibility as well. By studying online you could also continue to work at a health care facility, hospital or nursing home while you are studying. As discussed elsewhere, they would be more than willing to cover the costs for your studies.

Steps ToTake To Secure CNA Scholarships

There are few things students could do to secure CNA scholarships. These are (for example):

• Making sure that you are accepted at a CNA training school. If they are accredited you might have a better chance at being successful.

• Consult with the Financial Department at the institution where you would intend to study. They would be able to advise you on what is available and for what type of financial aide you can or could apply.

• Fill in an application form as early as possible so that the Financial Committee of the institution has ample time to get back to you.

• Add a letter of recommendation to your application. This is a means of making sure that you academic standard is in order and verified. It will increase your chances of finding the assistance you need.

• You should also include a cover letter with your application and you should also give an outline of your study plans and what your estimation of the cost for your studies would be.

• You could also give a break down of the courses you would be doing in the program and how it would spread out over your study period. This will assist them with their decision and the allocation of funds.

Finding Alternative CNA Scholarships

It might happen that you are not able to find the desired CNA scholarships to cover the cost of your studies. There are alternative ways to get this in order, and it would apply to most academic institutions. The same applies for the repayment of the scholarship where you would simply commit to working for the academic institution for an agreed period. It is also a matter of contacting the financial aid department of the institution with which you would be spending your time of study and work to find out for what you would qualify in terms of “compensation”.

You might not find CNA scholarships that would cover the entire program for you, but it will cover at least some of the cost.  These are some of the aspects mentioned before which are course materials, books, back ground checks, the first certification exam and so forth.

Hence, CNA scholarships are mainly there as an assistance for those who are financially strapped. Even so, it might not cover everything. It does cover enough though, to make it accessible to most people.