Frequently Asked Questions

Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) work alongside healthcare professionals in hospitals, assisted living facilities, and patients' homes, providing direct care to patients and their families. They assist with activities of daily living, meals, bathing and hygiene, exercise and mobility, plus offer companionship.

By pursuing further certification training, CNAs can develop more advanced skills, collaborating directly with nurses and the hospital care team to deliver a diverse range of complex patient care skills.

The CNA program is eight (8) weeks long and broken into two (2) sections:

• Four (4) weeks of theory work (online) and classroom (in-person) skills training.
• One (1) week of clinical experience in a nursing home or assisted living facility.

Both sections must be taken to successfully complete the course and receive a certificate.

To enroll in the CNA program, you must meet the following requirements:

• Be at least 18 years old.
• Have a social security number.
• Be able to pass a criminal background check.
• Provide complete medical forms on time.
• Have access to a computer and internet.
• Ability to speak, read, and understand Standard American English.
• Reliable transportation to classroom and clinical.
• Ability to pass a basic reading assessment test.

If approved, financial aid covers all, or up to 80% of tuition. Allow 2-3 weeks once the application is submitted to process. Applicants will be notified of their approval status by email.

No. If applying for financial aid, you must wait until it is processed before you can register.

Yes. If you cannot pay in full at the time of registration, you can set up a payment plan. You do this by contacting Finance at PaymentPlan@howardcc.edu. You should register first, then contact Finance. There is a $25 Administrative fee to set up the plan. All payments must be completed before the end of the course, or certificates will be withheld until payment is complete.

First, take the reading assessment test (we will provide a voucher for the test). You will need a score of 230 or better. If you have already taken a reading assessment at HCC, we can access those scores online.

Note: If you have successfully completed English 121, you are exempt from taking the exam. If you took these entrance exams at a college other than HCC, you will have to retake the reading assessment, or produce an unofficial transcript from that school.

To participate in the Clinical section, you need to pass the Theory/Skills portion of the class with at least an 80%. Before entering the clinical facility, a completed background check and completed medical forms must be handed into the instructor.

Yes, a CNA student can anticipate the following additional costs:

• Background check
• Completion of medical forms
• Purchase of scrubs
• MBON initial CNA license fee

Yes. Students wear burgundy scrubs (option of black scrub pants), and non-slip, closed-toed shoes. Scrubs are worn in both the classroom and clinical facility.

The Maryland Board of Nursing (MBON) has approved the CNA program at Howard Community College as an accredited program. Successfully completing our CNA course qualifies you to submit your application for license to MBON. 

Yes — if your license has been expired for more than 24 months, you must retake the entire program. If your license has been expired for less than 24 months, you should contact the Maryland Board of Nursing.

You will need to register for the GNA exam through Credentia to complete the two-part state exam.

Many of our students are returning to the classroom after many years. All students must spend dedicated time studying and practicing outside the classroom. The CNA program is condensed and moves quickly, so be sure you will have time to do the work required outside of the classroom. Keeping up with the reading and outside quizzes are important for success.