Certified nurse assistant (CNA) training can be costly.
Trying to find a way to fund courses can be difficult.
If you’re interested in becoming a CNA, there are many options offered in Illinois that come at little to no cost.
Long-term residential health facilities such as retirement homes sometimes offer programs with a possibility of employment once training is completed.
There currently has over seventy-eight facility based sites in Illinois that offer these programs.
Job Corp Center in Chicago and other cities across the state may have information on nurse assistant programs that are made available to those in need of employment assistance.
Article Table of Contents
Illinois Based WIA Approved Training Programs
Chicago Community Learning Center
4753 North Broadway Suite 602
Chicago IL, 60640
Contact Number: (773) 506-1503
https://cclctraining.org
Chicago Care Training Center
6600 N. Lincoln Avenue Suite 418
Lincolnwood IL, 60712
Contact Number: (847) 674-3368
International Skin Beauty Academy
830 N Meacham Road
Schaumburg IL, 60173
Contact Number: (847) 602-8356
https://www.itaskinbeauty.com
Joliet Junior College
1215 Houbolt Road
Joliet, IL 60431
Contact Number: (815) 729-9020
https://www.jjc.edu
Omega Healthcare Technical School
400 W. Higgins Road
Park Ridge, IL 60068
Contact Number: (847)425-9089
www.nursegroups.com/school/omega-healthcare-technical-school-gurnee-il-60031
Scholarship Opportunities
Rock Valley College
Nancy E. Anderson Scholarship
3301 North Mulford Road
Rockford, IL 61114
https://www.rockvalleycollege.edu/
The Nancy E. Anderson scholarship is designed to give financial assistance to non-traditional students looking to train in a new career field or add to their current level of employment skills.
It is available to certified nurse assistant applicants over thirty at RVCC.
Contact financial aid officers to receive specifications and an application.
Carl Sandburg College
Datatel Returning Student Scholarship
2400 Tom L. Wilson Boulevard
Galesburg, IL 61401
http://www.sandburg.edu/
For students who have not been in school for at least five years, the Datatel Returning Student scholarship offers assistance to individuals looking to return to school and further their education.
Those who wish to attend a Nurse Assistant Training course at Carl Sandburg College could qualify for this opportunity.
Applications can be processed through the financial aid page, or contact the financial aid office for more information.
CNA Certification Information
Before pursuing a certified nurse assistant certification, there are many requirements to consider.
Those seeking to become a certified nurse assistant must meet all course requirements prior to taking the state certification exam.
All approved certified training programs must provide students with comprehensive instructions on all requirements to work in all areas of licensed health care facilities.
These facilities include retirement homes, home health agencies, hospices, hospitals, and intermediate care facilities.
Training Hours
Training programs must include one hundred and twenty instructed hours.
These are constructed from a combination of laboratory and classroom lectures, along with forty training hours of supervised clinical experience which must be completed in an approved clinical setting.
National Nurse Aide Assessment Program Examination (NNAAP)
Within two years of completing a training program, trained nurse aide candidates must pass the NNAAP exam.
Both portions of this exam must be passed on the first attempt for candidates to be placed on the Illinois Nurse Aide Registry.
Candidates that do not finish both parts of their exam within three attempts must retake a training course before they can attempt to take the exam.
If applicants have completed a program out of state, they must be registered on an out-of-state nurse aide registry.
Only certifications that have been verified by an out-of-state registry or certification program to be in good standing and have no record of abuse or neglect will be added to this registry.
Individuals who have not received pay for nursing-related services in twenty-four consecutive months will lose certification and be required to pass a skills competency test and written exam.
CNA Training in Illinois
To become a certified nurse assistant in Illinois, applicants must complete all required coursework and pass a certification exam at an approved test site.
Certified CNA programs cost between $700 and $1800.
This training will prepare students over the course of one hundred and twenty hours through an eight week period to sit for the certification exam.
Loans and scholarships are available through technical schools and colleges throughout Illinois.
Those who wish to complete a training course through alternative methods can seek free training through long-term care facilities.
The following programs are approved by Illinois for CNA training:
College of DuPage
425 Fawell Boulevard
Glen Ellyn, IL 60137
Contact Number: (630) 942-2800
Program Cost – $792 plus textbooks, immunizations, and other course-related supplies.
With courses varying in length from eight to sixteen weeks, College of DuPage offers a six credit hour program.
Students attending are expected to complete work aside from classroom setting in addition to one hundred and sixty hours of class, laboratory and clinical hours.
College of Lake County
19351 West Washington Street
Grayslake, IL 60030-1198
Contact Number: (847) 543-2043
Program Cost – $1,061 including textbooks, immunizations, and other course-related supplies
Conducted in long-term care facilities, the Nurses Assistant program at College of Lake County is an eight-week course.
With a combination of classroom theory, laboratory skills practice and clinical, classes are conducted at Grayslake, Lakeshore, and Southlake campuses.
Classes meet four days a week, two of which are conducted in a clinical setting for five weeks.
Alternatively, nine-week classes are offered on the weekends.
Friday classes take place in a classroom with Saturdays reserved for clinical training.
Harold Washington College
30 East Lake Street
Chicago, IL 60601
Contact Number: (312) 553-5600
Program Cost – $668, plus additional fees for textbooks and other related supplies.
To provide students with skills required to function as a member of a health care team, Harold Washington College’s CNA Program utilizes classroom and laboratory sections to perfect technical skills.
In a one-semester certification course, beginning students will learn all required skills to perform any task required of a certified nurse assistant in cases where clients are unable to perform their own care.
Harper College
1200 W. Algonquin Road
Palatine, IL 60067
Contact Number: (847) 925-6559
Program Cost – $615, plus additional fees for books, immunizations, and other related supplies.
This CNA program offers six credits of theory, lab, and clinical experiences.
With day, evening, and weekend schedules to accommodate most students, this course can be completed in one semester.
Clinical times may vary.
McHenry County College
2 Frontier Drive
Fairfield, IL 62837
Contact Number: (815) 455-3700
Program Cost – $1,068, related supplies included.
MCC offers a seven credit hour program which offers a grand total of one hundred and forty-four hours in both practical and theory lessons.
Of this, forty-eight include hands-on experience.
For details, McHenry County College.
Oak Brook Care Rehabilitation Center
2013 Midwest Road
Oak Brook, IL
Contact Number: (630) 495-0220
Program Cost – Free
Oak Brook Care is a family owned five-star facility with excellent ratings from www.medicare.gov.
For candidates who show a level of commitment to helping others and dedication to the nursing field, they offer free classes.
With both full and part-time spots available, they provide health insurance, vacations, and pension plans.
Triton College
2000 Fifth Avenue
River Grove, IL 60171
Contact Number: (708) 456-0300
Program Cost – $1,712 plus additional fees for course-related materials.
Triton offers a seven credit Nurse Assistant course with one hundred and sixty-five hours of training.
Students will be provided with opportunities to acquire the knowledge and skills in a classroom and clinical settings.
Completion of the course will allow students to receive certification and become eligible for the Illinois Nurse Aide test required by the state’s Department of Public Health.
Illinois Certified Nursing Assistant Salaries
*Salaries Updated for 2024.
Location | Avg. Salary |
---|---|
Chicago, IL | $34,266 |
Aurora, IL | $33,955 |
Rockford, IL | $32,301 |
Joliet, IL | $33,238 |
Naperville, IL | $33,535 |
Springfield, IL | $29,060 |
Peoria, IL | $31,170 |
Elgin, IL | $33,762 |
Waukegan, IL | $32,214 |
Read the full guide: How to Become a CNA