You have decided to train for the healhcare industry. But how will you pay for that training? Believe it or not, there are ways to get your education for free.
Scholarship Database
One of the best ways to receive your healthcare training for free in Ohio is to use a scholarship database. Using these databases you can find scholarships to cover the cost of your training. In some cases, you might need to apply for multiple scholarships as it might take more than one to make your education free.
Using these databases you can find scholarships that are specific to the career you are studying or even the school in Ohio that you will be attending. The databases make it easy to search through thousands of programs that might work for you. They provide you with details on how, when and where to apply. Try a site like fastweb.com or the many other reputable scholarship searches out there.
Athletic Scholarship
If you are a top athlete, you might be offered an academic scholarships at a college in Ohio. In some cases, you will receive a scholarship large enough to pay for a healthcare related degree. Malone University in Canton, Ohio is just one of many where you could potentially receive a full or partial scholarship to play football or to play on any number of athletic teems. Contact the athletic department to find out if they scout for players and offer scholarships to exceptional athletes. You never know when you might be the next great player for a college in your state.
WIA Programs
Attend a school in Ohio that participates in the WIA program. Select a healthcare training or degree program that is covered by the Workforce Investment Act. The WIA is for individuals who are out of work or unable to find employment even though they are trying hard to be gainfully employed. You can visit a local job center to help you determine if you could receive funds through tis program. They can also help you find colleges such as the Columbus State Community College that are approved WIA providers.
Home Health Agencies
Search for home health agencies in your local area. They will sometimes provide you with free training to become a home health aide or even a certified nursing assistant. You will usually need to accept employment with the agency for a certain length of time in order for them to give you the training without any fees. You can be on your way to working as a home care provider within a matter of just days or a couple weeks using this free training option.
Options for being in the National Guards or the Armed Services
You can usually receive tuition assistance if you serve or serviced in the armed force or are a member of the National Guard. You would need to talk to your benefits coordinator to learn what you qualify for and how to apply. Often times, you can receive not only tuition help but also money to use for basic living expenses while you study.
For instance, there is the Ohio National Guard Scholarship Program. Those who qualify will receive full coverage for their tuition if they are enrolled in an Associate Level or higher course. This would work for certain healthcare programs. Some certificate nursing programs are also included. An individual will need to be a current member of the National Guard. The financial aid office at your school can help you learn more about how to access your benefits and for which programs at the school you can use those benefits.
Scholarships for your life circumstances
Your particular life circumstances might qualify you to receive a scholarship. Examples could include being a single parent, a non-traditional student, the child of a veteran, member of a specific ethnic group, person with a particular disability-just to name a few. For instance, the Ohio Nurse foundation sponsors a scholarship for individuals who have been out of school for at least two years and who wish to become a nurse. This is referred to as the “Students Returning to School” Scholarship for prospective RN’s. Other foundations will have similar types of scholarships for various healthcare and related fields of study.
You can find scholarship options through your college. You can also use online scholarship searches. Most are designed to ask you a wide variety of questions to find out about your specific circumstances to match you with scholarships.
Ministry Based Programs
There are sometimes ministry based programs to help you achieve your healthcare goals at no cost to you. For example, the Mercy Neighborhood Ministries offers a home health care aide training program to those who qualify. Individuals will be those who wish to have access to a healthcare job field but might not otherwise find this access. They will be people who are willing to serve in inner city healthcare locations after they finish their training. The course does take hard work and determination to complete. You can also search for similar based programs in a community near you to train for entry level healthcare jobs that do not require a lengthy education.
Mercy Neighborhood Ministries programs
School Financial Aid Packages
If you are enrolling in a degree or for credit certificate program at a college or university, you should be eligible to apply for financial aid. The financial aid can come in a variety of forms-usually a combination of more than one is needed if you are hoping to cover all of your tuition. There are state and federal grants available to students-with top priority usually given to those with the most financial need. Colleges usually have institutional scholarships as well as a data base of other commonly used scholarships or at least those specific to foundations from the local area. Many scholarships are based on need but some are based more so on your merit or on specific niche qualifying criteria. You will need to complete not only college financial aid packets but also the Federal Application for financial aid.
An example of a college that makes it easy to apply for multiple types of financial aid at a time is Cincinnati State.
Cincinnati State-1 North Main Street-Middletown Ohio, 45042
Ohio College Opportunity Grant
If you are planning to enroll in a healthcare Associate Degree or higher program (or a nurse diploma) program, you might qualify for this grant. This grant is only for students who take the time to complete the FASFA for federal aid. If your financial status could otherwise be a significant barrier to obtaining your degree, you could potentially qualify for the degree. You must enroll in a program at a college within the state of Ohio to receive the Ohio College Opportunity Grant. In some cases, the grant can also be used if you attend certain programs at certain Pennsylvania schools.
The financial aid office at the college where you will attend school will be a starting place to help you learn if you qualify for funding. The amount you receive will depend on your financial status and how much funding there is versus students in need for the academic year.
A Parent Giving Their Life in the Line of Duty
There are some scholarships and grants to help children who had a mother or father pass away in the line of duty. Various opportunities exist depending if the student had a parent who was police officer, served in the military and so forth. One example is the Ohio Safety Officers College Memorial Fund which can help both children and spouses of someone who passed away while working as a firefighter, police officer and in some other public duty careers. Students who may qualify could receive as much as full compensation for tuition and directly related fees. A student can visit their college to receive help applying. The student will need a Certificate of Casualty to prove the person died in the line of duty.
Usually there are options for college funding for sons and daughters of military men and women who lost their lives in the line of duty as well. Some of these options might also extend to the husband or wives of the person who had served in the military. You should look into Military Survivor benefits to learn even more.
On the Job Training
Some employers will provide on the job training for certain entry level healthcare careers. For example, chain Pharmacy’s like Walgreens and CVS will often hire someone to work as a pharmacy technician and then provide all the training they need. The same is true of many continuing care communities and home health companies. They will often hire someone to work as a home health aide or nursing assistant and then provide the necessary training. You usually will need to remain employed by the company for a stated amount of time or else you may need to reimburse them for the training.
Sometimes you might work in a non medical position at a hospital or other type of healthcare provider. Perhaps you decide you would like a new career. Your company might provide you with on the job training or pay for part or even all of your tuition to train for a new career as long as you stay on and work for them in that new career. You should not be afraid to talk to your current boss about your goals for the future.
You will be able to find help paying for college or for short term training programs if you want to become a paraprofessional in the healthcare industry.
CNA training-Carriage Inn, Steubenville, Ohio
Begin your career as a certified nursing assistant. If you are hired to work for this company, they will provide you with all the skills training you need to become fully certified as a nursing assistant. You will need to have good reading and writing skills, a strong work ethic and good communication skills. During training, you will be able to provide basic level care for patients with needs and duties that do not require an LPN or RN. You will need to work for Carriage Inn for a pre specified amount of time after they provide you with all your training and experience. A high school diploma is not required as long as you completed at least the eighth grade. Apply here:
EEG Technologist Trainee-Cleveland Clinic
This is an amazing opportunity to start a career at a leading US hospital. If you have medical terminology and some basic A&P knowledge, this program could be right for you. You will learn how to place electrodes and monitor patients during their EEG testing. It will be necessary to learn how to obtain patient information as well. You will learn how to collect all necessary information from the patient and form their tests to provide to the doctors for their evaluation and diagnosis of the patient. You will be even more likely to be accepted into this program if you have had patient experience in some other capacity but it is not a requirement. Apply here:
Polysomnographic Technologist Trainee-Mercy Health, Springfield Ohio
This is an excellent opportunity for someone interested in the medical field. They would like someone with a Bachelor’s Degree but it is not absolutely required. You will learn to conduct polysomnographic testing. There will be other aspects of patient care you must provide during testing as well. You will learn how to provide this care and what interventions you need to provide when situations arise. You will always be working under the direction of a fully registered technologist until you become registered yourself. To qualify for the training program you must be in an approved track to become fully licensed in the field. You can apply here: