The CNA Guide Scholarship
$500 for students entering direct patient care. One award a year.
Awarded every year · Applications open November 1, 2026 · Deadline April 30, 2027
- No application fee
- No GPA requirement
- No references or transcript
- Open to career changers
Why a scholarship for a course this short
CNA training is short and comparatively cheap, and that is exactly why it falls through the gaps. Pell Grant eligibility generally excluded programs this short: the standard threshold is 600 clock hours over 15 weeks, which no nurse aide course comes close to. Workforce Pell changed that in July 2026, but only for programs of 150 to 599 hours running 8 to under 15 weeks, at accredited Title IV institutions, that clear a 70% completion and 70% job placement bar.
Most CNA training still does not fit. The federal minimum is 75 hours, plenty of state programs run four to six weeks, and a large share are taught at nursing homes, Red Cross chapters and private training centers that are not Title IV institutions at all. So the student pays: tuition, textbook, scrubs, shoes, a background check, a physical, a TB test, and the state exam fee, mostly up front and mostly before earning anything.
Five hundred dollars is not much against a nursing degree. Against a CNA course it is a meaningful share of the whole thing. That is the gap this is for.
Sources: Workforce Pell, Congressional Research Service IF13253 · Title IV program eligibility, Congressional Research Service R43159
If you have not already, check whether you can get your training paid for outright. Several routes exist: free CNA classes and who pays for them.
Who can apply
Base requirements
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Residency | US citizen, permanent resident, or DACA recipient, living in the US or a US territory |
| Enrollment | Enrolled in, accepted to, or applying to a qualifying program |
| Age | No minimum and no maximum |
| GPA | No requirement |
| Applications | One per person per cycle |
Qualifying programs
| Field | Programs |
|---|---|
| Nurse aide | CNA, STNA, GNA, nurse aide, nurse assistant |
| Home and personal care | Home health aide, home care aide, personal care aide, direct support professional |
| Patient care support | Patient care technician, patient care assistant, medical assistant, restorative aide |
| Clinical technician | Phlebotomy, EKG or ECG technician, dialysis technician, sterile processing technician |
| Nursing pathways | LPN, LVN, ADN, BSN or an RN bridge, if you are a current or former CNA or nurse aide |
Not sure your program fits? Email us before the deadline and we will tell you straight.
- Students on F-1 or other non-immigrant student visas
- Programs that are not state-approved or nationally recognized
- Employees of The CNA Guide and their immediate family
- Anyone who has previously received this scholarship
How to apply
Applications open November 1, 2026. Nothing to send before then, but here is exactly what to have ready.
- 1Check you are eligible. Two minutes, using the tables above.
- 2Write your story, or record it. 250 to 400 words, or a 90-second video.
- 3Email it by April 30, 2027. One application per person.
Put all of this in the email:
- Your full name
- Confirmation that you are a US citizen, permanent resident or DACA recipient
- The program you are in, applying to, or accepted to
- The school or provider running it, and the city and state
- When it starts, or when you expect to start
- Your story: paste it into the email, or attach it as a PDF or Word file
- Sending video instead? Put a link to it on Google Drive, Dropbox or YouTube set to unlisted. Do not attach the video file. It will bounce.
That is the whole application. No form, no account, no transcript, no references.
We read every application. We do not send confirmations or individual replies, so keep a copy of what you send.
Want the weekly CNA Brief? Add the word newsletter anywhere in your email and we will add you. It plays no part in judging.
What to write
Think about the first shift you will work in direct patient care. Describe one person you hope to be able to help, and the one thing you most need to learn before you can.
Tell us about a time you cared for someone, paid or unpaid, and one thing it taught you that you did not expect.
- 250–400 words. Please keep to that range, so every application is read on the same terms.
- Or record 90 seconds of video. No editing, no script on screen, a phone camera is fine.
- Write it or say it yourself. Work that reads as machine-written will not win, and a video is the easiest way to show us it is yours.
- Spell check and grammar tools are fine. We are not looking for polish, we are looking for a real story.
Nothing needs to be about us. Do not mention The CNA Guide. It will not help you.
How we choose
| Criterion | Weight | What we are looking for |
|---|---|---|
| A specific story | 40% | One real person, one real moment. Not a summary of why healthcare matters |
| What the money changes | 20% | Concretely, what $500 lets you do that you could not otherwise |
| Commitment to direct care | 20% | You intend to work at the bedside, not just pass through it |
| Clarity | 20% | We can follow it. Polish is not the point |
- Reviewed by two people at The CNA Guide.
- In a tie, preference goes to an applicant in a nurse aide program.
- Decisions are final and we do not give individual feedback.
Key dates, and the cycle after this one
Annual award
Cycle 2026/27
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| November 1, 2026 | Applications open |
| April 30, 2027 | Deadline, 11:59pm ET |
| May 1 – May 29, 2027 | Review |
| May 31, 2027 | Recipient contacted |
| By June 30, 2027 | Funds paid |
Cycle 2027/28
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| November 1, 2027 | Applications open |
| April 30, 2028 | Deadline, 11:59pm ET |
| May 31, 2028 | Recipient contacted |
| By June 30, 2028 | Funds paid |
The dates are the same every year. Applications open November 1 and close April 30.
Scholarship cycles
| Cycle | Award | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 2026/27 | $500 | Opens November 1, 2026 |
| 2027/28 | $500 | Applications open November 1, 2027 |
We do not publish recipient names or photographs. Applicants tell us personal things and that is not ours to broadcast.
Where else to look for money
Almost every national nursing scholarship requires you to already be in a degree program. Search for one that covers a four-week nurse aide course and you will find very little. That gap is the reason this scholarship exists.
These are the places worth checking anyway. No amounts or deadlines here, because they change every year. Open the link for the current cycle.
| Award | What it is | Link |
|---|---|---|
| CareerOneStop Scholarship Finder | US Department of Labor. Free, 9,500+ awards, filter by field of study and state | careeronestop.org |
| Bold.org CNA scholarships | Free, no fee. Awards rotate, so check what is open | bold.org |
| Nurse Corps Scholarship Program | Not open to you as a CNA, worth knowing for when you go ADN or BSN. Full tuition, fees and a stipend, for two years’ service | bhw.hrsa.gov |
| FNSNA | Same framing. Opens up in a nursing degree or an LPN-to-RN bridge. Up to $10,000 | fnsna.org |
Two more worth chasing, which differ for every reader
- Your state’s health care association foundation. Most run a scholarship for nurse aide students. Search your state name plus health care association foundation scholarship.
- Your own program, and WIOA. Funding that covers the course outright is a bigger number than any scholarship on this page: free CNA classes and who pays for them.
Know one we have missed? Email scholarship@thecnaguide.com.
We are not affiliated with any of these awards and we do not take a fee for listing them.
Questions
Is there any fee to apply?
No. There is no fee, no purchase and nothing to buy. If a site asks you to pay to apply for a scholarship, it is not a scholarship.
Do I have to fill in a form?
No. There is no form and no account. You email your application to scholarship@thecnaguide.com and that is the whole process.
How do I know you got it?
We do not send confirmation emails, so keep a copy of what you send. The recipient is contacted by May 31, 2027 and the award is recorded on this page.
Do I need to be enrolled already?
No. You can be enrolled, accepted, or still applying.
I am 47 and changing careers. Can I apply?
Yes. There is no age limit and career changers are explicitly eligible.
Do I need a minimum GPA?
No.
My program is only six weeks. Does that count?
Yes. Short nurse aide programs are the reason this exists.
Can I submit a video instead of writing?
Yes, 90 seconds. It is judged exactly the same way.
Can I use AI to write my essay?
Your story has to be yours. We are not running detection software, we are reading for something only you could have written. Spell check and grammar tools are fine.
How is the money paid?
By bank transfer, direct to you. We ask for your bank details only after you have accepted the award, never as part of applying. Nobody legitimate asks for bank details to apply for a scholarship.
Is the award taxable?
Possibly, depending on your situation. We do not issue a Form 1099-MISC for the scholarship, and that does not determine whether the award is taxable to you. We do not give tax advice, so ask a tax professional if you are unsure.
Will my name or essay be published?
No. We do not publish recipient names, photographs or essays. If you win, the only public record is an anonymous line saying the award was made. You do not have to agree to any publicity to apply or to receive it.
Can I apply again next year?
Yes, if you were not selected. Previous recipients cannot.
Who do I contact?
scholarship@thecnaguide.com. Questions about eligibility are welcome any time before the deadline.
Who is behind this
The CNA Guide has published free resources for Certified Nursing Assistants in the United States since 2023. It covers approved training programs, state licensing and reciprocity, a free study guide and practice tests, an agencies directory and career paths, built around state-specific information verified against official sources.
We run this scholarship because CNA training is the one healthcare credential cheap enough to be ignored by financial aid and expensive enough to stop people starting.
More about The CNA Guide · scholarship@thecnaguide.com
Official terms
Full terms · 13 sections Read the official scholarship terms Eligibility, application, originality, selection, payment, privacy, tax and contact. Kept on this URL so everything can be checked in one visit.
- Eligibility. Open to US citizens, permanent residents and DACA recipients living in the US or a US territory who are enrolled in, accepted to, or applying to a qualifying program. Qualifying programs are listed on this page. No minimum or maximum age and no GPA requirement. Students holding F-1 or other non-immigrant student visas are not eligible.
- Application requirements. One application per person per cycle. Submit either 250 to 400 words of writing or a video of up to 90 seconds. Submissions outside that range may not be judged. There is no fee, no purchase and nothing to buy.
- Originality. The work must be your own. Spell check and grammar tools are permitted. We do not run detection software; we read for something only the applicant could have written, and work that reads as machine-written will not be selected. Plagiarized work is disqualified.
- Selection. Applications are judged by two reviewers at The CNA Guide against the published criteria: a specific story 40%, what the money changes 20%, commitment to direct care 20%, clarity 20%. In a tie, preference goes to an applicant in a nurse aide program. Decisions are final and individual feedback is not given.
- Award and payment. One award of $500 per cycle. Funds are paid directly to the recipient by bank transfer. Payment is made by June 30 of the cycle year.
- Notification. The recipient is contacted by email by May 31 and has 14 days to reply and confirm payment details. If there is no reply within that period the award may be offered to another applicant.
- Communications. Email addresses are used to ask questions about an application where needed, and to contact the recipient. We do not send confirmations of receipt, and applicants who are not selected are not contacted individually. Any newsletter opt-in is optional and is never a condition of applying or of receiving the award.
- Content usage. Applications are not published. We do not publish recipient names, photographs or essays, and no publicity of any kind is a condition of applying or of receiving the award.
- Privacy. Applicant information is used to judge the award and to contact applicants. It is not sold or shared. Applications from applicants who are not selected are deleted within 12 months of the cycle closing.
- Verification. We may ask for proof of enrollment, acceptance or application before funds are released. An award may be withdrawn where eligibility cannot be verified.
- Tax. The award may be taxable depending on the recipient’s circumstances. We do not issue a Form 1099-MISC for the scholarship, and that does not determine whether the award is taxable to the recipient. We do not give tax advice.
- Modifications. Dates and terms may change, and changes are published on this page. A cycle in progress is judged under the terms published when applications opened for that cycle.
- Contact. scholarship@thecnaguide.com. Questions about eligibility are welcome at any point before the deadline.
Deadline April 30, 2027, 11:59pm ET