Let’s take a look at some ways you can pay for your health care training in Massachusetts. Some of the opportunities for funding include: scholarships, grants, on the job training and employer help-to name a few.
MassRehab: If you are a man or women with a disability, you might be able to receive financial aid to pay for your healthcare training through MassRehab. The goal of this program is to help people with disabilities to have independent living. Having training to be employable can certain help with this process. You can call them to learn more about their programs: 617-204-3600, including any help you can receive to pay for training for a career in the medical related field.
Some schools might have their own scholarship even grant programs to help individuals with disabilities or chronic illnesses to receive the training they need. Talk to financial aid counselors to help you find potential options.
Federal Grants: As a resident of Massachussetts, you can apply for federal grants. Fill out the FASFA as part of the application process. You can apply for the Federal Pell Grant if you are enrolled in an undergraduate healthcare degree on a full-time basis. You will need to retain good academic progress. You can receive this particular grant more than once.
If you were a hard working high school student, and are in your first and second year of college, you can apply for the Federal Academic Competitiveness Grant. Once again, you will need to show good grades and keep them that way. There may be other types of federal grants or scholarships for which you might be eligible.
Parent Employment Grants: Sometimes an employer has scholarships that an employee’s children can apply for. If you are still in high school or recently started college, you should look into such opportunities. Have your parents ask about any scholarships that they may fund. You may well need to write an essay or provide other documents about your high school history in order to complete the application process. There may be more than one scholarship through the employer for which you may apply.
The Fieldstone School Health Career Development Program allows certain young individuals to receive their healthcare development program for free. This includes a Nurse Aide program. An individual will need to be low income and considered to come from disadvantaged circumstances if they are to receive this training for free. The person cannot be younger than 17 and cannot be older than 24 to qualify. More information can be found here: http://www.thefieldstoneschool.com/web/ Some other training centers might also have free training programs.
Career Specific Scholarships
There are many opportunities for career specific scholarships. For example, the Mildred Nutting Nursing Scholarships is intended to help individuals with financial need in the Lowell area to have some funds towards their tuition. It is sponsored through the Daughters of the American Revolution. They offer various funds for healthcare degrees including one for individuals who are going to become Occupational therapists.
http://www.dar.org/national-society/scholarships/nursing-medical-scholarships
You can find other career specific scholarships through the college you will attend, organizations and foundations. There seem to be a lot specifically for medical field careers including LPN or RN degrees. But there are others for a range of other medical careers from entry level and mid level to becoming a nurse practitioner, physician’s assistant or even a specialty physician.
Scholarships from Large Companies
Many large companies have scholarship programs. For example, there is the Tylenol Future Care Scholarship. The amounts a student area awarded vary but some individuals receive as much as $10,000. Students much show good academic success and that they are actively involved in their community. There are two different essays that must be written and they must be about 500 words each. This is a competitive scholarship but one well worth taking the time in which to apply.
https://www.tylenol.com/news/scholarship
There are many big name companies that have scholarships for students who are already attending or will attend college. They can work well for many types of healthcare degrees. A few example of big name scholarships include: Best Buy, Coca Cola, Apple and Ford. The requirements and award amounts will vary from one company to the next. Some companies may offer more than one type of scholarship.
Training at a Nursing Care or Rehabilitation center
Many nursing care or rehabilitation centers in Massachussets offer free CNA training which is another entry level healthcare career. Oakwood Nursing Center is one such place that offers the training needed to become fully certified. If an individual is successful in their studies and examination, they will then work for Oakwood Nursing Center. Abbott House Nursing Home does train nursing assistants at no cost to the individual. They will prepare the person to be able to carry out all essential duties as a nursing assistant without charging for this training. That being said, the person will then be contracted as a CNA for Abbot House in exchange for their free training.
Oakwood Nursing Center
11 Pontiac Ave, Webster, MA 01570
Abbot House
28 Essex St, Lynn, MA 01902
You may receive on the job training for other types of healthcare careers too. Some hospitals train their phlebotomists, medical assistants, pharmacy technicians and EKG technicians on their own. If they invest their times and resources in you for this training, you will then have an amount of time for which you must work for them without quitting in exchange for their no cost help in preparing for these careers.
The Adult and Dislocated Worker Program
This program is intended to help people who are unemployed and people who find themselves out of work through no fault of their own and without enough marketable skills. Some individuals will be able to receive tuition waivers and other forms of tuition assistance to receive training. This may include healthcare training at a training center or even a local college. The programs will vary depending on a person’s circumstances. These options are for people who could become gainfully employed again if they could access training for popular or in demand careers.
A couple options usually exist. Some are for people who had a place of employment close or who were laid off. Others are for individuals who were homemakers and must know go to work because of divorce or death or disability of a spouse. These people may need training before they can work somewhere and a healthcare program is an excellent option.
You can learn more by going to one of the one stop job centers in the area where you live if you are not currently working or if you are a displaced homemaker or worker.
MassGrant
This grant is for students in accepted programs at accredited colleges. The student could receive help for a healthcare program as long as it is at least the Certificate or Associate Degree Level. These grants will serve those with the most financial need. It is necessary for a student to be taking 12 credits at a minimum if they are going to apply for this grant. Students will need to complete a Federal Application for Aid so that the state can determine if they qualify for a grant and in what amount. A high school counselor can help students who have not entered college. Otherwise the financial aid office of the college for studies will be able to help a student apply for this and other grants.
Massachusetts Part-Time Grant
You should not worry if you do not qualify for the MassGrant because you are only taking 6-11 credits, there is still help for you. You can apply for the above mentioned grant. This is also to help students who have financial need and cannot easily pay for much, if any, of their tuition on their own. You will still need to be in an approved program of study at a properly accredited college and will need to complete your FASFA for financial aid to determine eligibility not to mention the amount of funds you will receive towards your education. You can also apply for federal grants if you are taking enough credits and meet all other requirements.
Other State Help
The state of Massachusetts has other help available for certain circumstances. For instance, many kids who were in the foster care system and are now 18 and older, can receive grants so they can go to college and become well employed. There are programs to help students who had a parent who died while working in public service sector within the state. Other grants and tuition waivers are also made available to students with the lowest incomes. This includes independent students as well as students who are living at home but who have parents with an equally low income status. Visit your financial aid office of the college you will attend or any colleges you are considering. They can help you determine which options might qualify you to receive additional help to pay for your degree.
Pharmacy Technician Trainee-CVS
You can help patients with filling the medications they need to get back to health. As a pharmacy technician in training, you will learn how to prepare prescriptions to then be checked and approved by the pharmacist. Training will provide you with the knowledge you need to help customers with questions and to refer those who need additional help to the pharmacist on duty. As a pharmacy technician, you will also learn how to ring up orders and have people sign for their medications. This can be a great opportunity if you are looking to join a healthcare role. Receive the training you need to become a fully practicing pharmacy technician. Apply with ease here:
https://www.indeed.com/cmp/CVS-Health/jobs/Pharmacy-Technician-c4771ddb99c63562?q=trainee
CNA-Seacoast Nursing and Rehabilitation Center
You can train to begin a career in the medical field. If you enjoy the work, maybe someday you will further your education and career. Seacoast Nursing Center will train individuals to work as nursing assistants. You must then work for them for at least ½ year. The training will provide the classroom instruction as well as direct instruction and experiences working with residents. You will learn to provide assistance to patients with their activities of daily living and with transporting them to different areas of the Center. As a CNA, you will help monitor vital signs and to check on the patient’s well being and report any concerns to your supervisor.
292 Washington Street-Gloucester, MA 01930-4832
LPN training-Greenfield Community College
If you are out of work and qualify for Workforce Investment Act training, you might be able to train to be an LPN for free. For example, Greenfield Community College is one of the schools participating in this program and their LPN track qualifies. An LPN is a licensed practical nurse trained to perform a variety of nursing care duties under the direction of a registered nurse. When taking this program at school, you will receive the academic and classroom instruction on campus. You will also receive the hands on training via clinical rotations.
1 College Dr, Greenfield, MA 01301