Points of interest…
- Ohio requires 75 hours, with online theory but in-person clinical.
- Check the Ohio Department of Health approved list before paying a deposit.
- Sinclair's 2027 tuition runs about $624.12.
For a Centerville resident, the Steps to Become a CNA are among the quickest routes into healthcare, but the first search hits a naming snag: Ohio calls the credential STNA (State Tested Nurse Aide), and many listings use "CNA" for the same state-approved course.
Classes are short and run across Centerville, Dayton, Kettering, Miamisburg, and Springboro. The real differences lie in who teaches the course, the all-in cost, whether an employer will sponsor training for free, and how the state exam works.
Dayton-area long-term care employers hire consistently, so the decision usually turns on schedule and price, not availability.
CNA vs. STNA in Ohio and Why Centerville Has Steady Demand
Ohio's job boards have quietly settled on one title for entry-level nursing aides, and it isn't the one most national guides use. In this state, "CNA" and "STNA" (State Tested Nursing Assistant) describe the same role. What makes you employable is passing the state competency exam and being listed on the Ohio Nurse Aide Registry, not which acronym appears on your certificate.
Who Hires in the Centerville Area
Demand for nursing careers comes from several employer types. Hospital systems such as Kettering Health and Premier Health employ aides across the region. Beyond hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, assisted living communities, rehab centers, and home health agencies in Centerville, Kettering, Washington Township, and greater Dayton all rely on nursing assistants for daily resident care.
What STNAs Actually Do
The work is hands-on: bathing, feeding, helping patients move and transfer, taking vital signs, and reporting changes in condition to nurses. STNAs always work under the supervision of a licensed nurse.
Most local employers write "STNA" in their job postings. Use that term when searching for classes and openings across STNA programs Ohio, and you'll see far more relevant results than "CNA" alone.
Can You Take CNA Classes Online in Ohio? Hybrid STNA Options
Ohio does not allow a fully online CNA/STNA, but approved CNA training programs may move the classroom theory online. The state minimum is 75 total clock hours, typically split into 59 classroom/lab hours and 16 supervised clinical hours in a long-term care facility. That clinical component has to be done in person under appropriate supervision.
Hybrid programs fit working adults by putting lectures, readings, and exams online, then scheduling hands-on skills lab and clinical days at a partner nursing facility. Ohio State Career Training Center in Dayton advertises online class meetings with four required in-person days, including two clinical days. Warren County Career Center in Lebanon lists a 76-hour hybrid with 30 hours of online theory, 30 hours of lab, and 16 hours of clinical work. Students should plan for face-to-face lab days and off-site clinical shifts; the online portion covers theory, not direct patient care skills.
Before enrolling, confirm the program appears on the Ohio Department of Health approved list. A fully online course with no in-person clinical hours will not lead to Ohio STNA testing eligibility.
Where to Train: STNA Providers in Centerville and Nearby Dayton Suburbs
Which training providers actually run STNA classes inside Centerville, and which ones only serve the area from nearby Dayton suburbs? The directory listings conflict, so here is what the available evidence confirms.
Confirmed Centerville Providers
Two providers are documented at 5800 Clyo Road in Centerville:
- Ally College: An in-person STNA program authorized by the Ohio Department of Health to issue a Certificate of Completion. The 2026 listing shows 76 total hours (59 classroom and 16 clinical) at $645. A two-week daytime track runs Monday through Friday, 9 to 5, with an evening track spread over four weeks, a schedule common among fast track CNA programs. Multiple cohorts run from January through November, each with its own clinical dates. The specific clinical facility is not named in the sources.
- Sinclair Community College: One of the nursing schools in Centerville OH, it offers a state-approved Nurse Aide short-term certificate at its Centerville campus. The available sources confirm the credential and approval and list 2026 tuition of $624.12, but do not establish a class start or named clinical site. Handbook notes describe rotations typically on weekdays with some weekend options.
Fortis and the Dayton Area
Fortis College has a Centerville campus and nursing programs, but its listings point STNA-to-LPN applicants elsewhere, and no current 2026 Centerville STNA course is confirmed.
Keep in mind that nursing homes and career centers across Dayton, Kettering, Miamisburg, Beavercreek, and Springboro also run state-approved programs. Many appear on Ohio's approved list without showing up in commercial directories.
How Long It Takes to Become a CNA in Ohio
In Ohio, plan for about 5-12 weeks from the start of state-approved training through the exam and registry listing, though part-time evening or weekend formats often stretch to 3-4 months. An accelerated 2-4 week STNA course compresses the same 75 required hours into full-time days, so a 2-week class is realistic only with a full-time classroom and clinical schedule. Registry listing can add up to 30 days after you pass.
How Much Do CNA Classes Cost in Centerville?
Community college vs. private vocational school is the first CNA programs cost fork you'll hit. Sinclair Community College in nearby Dayton runs its nurse aide course as a 4-credit class at $156.03 per credit, putting program tuition around $624.12. Private STNA providers in the Dayton area tend to charge more, with Ohio vocational school programs generally landing between $800 and $2,000. State-approved programs as a group typically run $500 to $1,200 for tuition.
Costs Beyond Tuition
The sticker price rarely covers everything. Budget for these extras:
- Background check: $30 to $60, required statewide before clinicals.
- TB test: $15 to $40 if your school or clinical site doesn't provide one.
- Books, scrubs, and CPR card: vary by provider; some bundle them, some bill separately.
- State competency exam: the Ohio nurse aide exam runs around $104 ($114 for the audio version), though some Dayton-area listings quote closer to $120.
All in, expect a realistic total of roughly $700 to $1,400, and more at the higher-cost private schools.
Why Directory Prices Disagree
Quotes conflict because some list tuition only, others bundle the exam fee, and a few are outdated or point to programs that no longer run. Always confirm directly with the provider. Because non-credit STNA courses usually don't qualify for federal financial aid, the free and sponsored routes covered next matter.
Related Articles
Enrollment Requirements and the Ohio Nurse Aide Competency Exam
Requirements vary by provider, so confirm details with your selected program. The state exam is administered by D&S Diversified Technologies (Headmaster).
- Minimum ageMany programs set the minimum at 16, though some require 18.
- Education and screeningA high school diploma or GED is often required. Background checks, two-step TB testing, immunizations, and CPR (commonly AHA BLS) may be required before clinicals; Ohio law does not mandate a background check for training or the state exam.
- Exam format and feeThe Headmaster exam includes a written or oral knowledge test plus a hands-on skills test. The standard fee is $120 ($30 knowledge + $90 skills); the oral/audio knowledge option totals $130.
- Registration and deadlineRegister online through Headmaster with a photo ID and training documentation. You must complete both parts within two years of finishing an approved 75-hour NATCEP.
- RetakesYou may retake each failed component up to three times, and you only retake the part you fail. If you do not pass within the two-year window, check with Headmaster; retraining may be needed.
What Nursing Assistants Earn in the Dayton Metro
Nursing aides in the Dayton metro earn slightly more than the Ohio average.
Top-Ranked CNA Programs Serving Centerville Students
For Centerville residents, Sinclair Community College in Dayton is the only state-approved CNA training provider within the immediate Dayton metro represented in our current program data. The short-term nurse aide certificate can be completed on campus and prepares students for Ohio's State Tested Nurse Aide exam after 75 hours of combined classroom and clinical training.
Factors considered
- First-year retention rates
- Student-to-faculty ratio
- Tuition adjusted for location
- Post-completion earnings data
- Program-level records and offerings
Data sources
- BEA state price parities, used to adjust tuition — bea.gov
- College Scorecard post-completion earnings data — collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Program-level records maintained in house
- Original research on individual programs
- National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS) — nces.ed.gov
| Rank | School | Location | Net price | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Sinclair Community College | Dayton, OH | $4,000 – $9,000/yr (est.) | Dayton-area commuters needing campus STNA training | |
Sinclair Community College is a public two-year college in Dayton, Ohio, offering a short-term Nurse Aide certificate that meets Ohio Department of Health requirements. The campus-based program includes clinical experience and prepares students for the State Tested Nurse Aide exam, with graduates eligible for roles as nurse aides, home health aides, or patient care assistants. The college has a graduation rate of 41% and maintains partnerships with local healthcare providers, which can help Centerville commuters connect to Dayton-area job opportunities after certification.
| |||||
| #2 | Eastland-Fairfield Career and Technical Schools | Groveport, OH | $16,000/yr (est. net price) | ||
| #3 | Career and Technology Education Centers of Licking County | Newark, OH | |||
| #4 | ETI Technical College | Niles, OH | ~$14,000/yr (est.) | ||
| #5 | Columbiana County Career and Technical Center | Lisbon, OH | ~$12,000/yr (est.) | ||
| #6 | Sandusky Career Center | Sandusky, OH | |||
| #7 | Central Ohio Technical College | Newark, OH | $5,000 – $8,000/yr (est.) | ||
| #8 | North Central State College | Mansfield, OH | $5,000/yr (est. net price) | ||
| #9 | Cuyahoga Community College District | Cleveland, OH | $4,000/yr (est. net price) | ||
| #10 | Belmont College | St Clairsville, OH | $7,000/yr (est. net price) | ||
Centerville CNA Program FAQs
Most Ohio CNA/STNA programs are hybrid. You can complete some coursework online, but state-approved training requires supervised in-person skills labs and clinical hours, so a fully online STNA option is generally not available.2 Before enrolling, confirm that the hybrid program appears on the Ohio Department of Health approved program list.1
Check the Ohio Department of Health Nurse Aide Registry's approved program list before paying a deposit.1 Approved programs meet Ohio's curriculum and clinical hour requirements, and their graduates are eligible to sit for the Ohio Nurse Aide Competency Exam.2 You can also contact the registry directly to confirm a program's current approval status.1
Ohio may accept an out-of-state credential through reciprocity if it is current and in good standing, and your home-state registry verifies that your listing met federal requirements with no disqualifying findings such as resident abuse or misappropriation.2 Submit the Ohio Department of Health reciprocity application.1 A lapsed or flagged record may require additional review, retraining, or testing.
Perform qualifying nurse aide work during each 24-month period. If you go 24 consecutive months without qualifying work, your STNA registry status lapses and Ohio requires retraining and retesting before you can return to active status. The exam has knowledge and skills components; if you pass one and fail the other, only the failed component is retaken.
