Compare costs, schedules, and free employer-sponsored routes to TN CNA certification
How fast can you become a CNA in Chattanooga, and does it have to cost anything? Tennessee requires 75 training hours, at least 16 of them in supervised clinical practice, so most programs finish in weeks. Quality is less uniform. State approval, exam preparation, and class schedules vary from one provider to the next.
Cost is where choices split. Under federal rules, aides hired by a Medicaid-certified nursing home within 12 months of finishing a course are entitled to reimbursement of training costs. Local hiring, sponsored seats, and Tennessee's exam requirements all shape the real price. Often the cheapest seat is one an employer funds.
New CNAs in Chattanooga who completed CNA programs in Tennessee usually face a tradeoff between the pace of hospital work and the hiring volume of long-term care. Hospitals post fewer entry-level seats but pay more per hour; nursing homes and home health agencies hire steadily and often train you themselves.
The metro's three large systems, Erlanger, CHI Memorial, and Parkridge, all employ certified nursing assistants, frequently under the title patient care technician. Hospital rates can run well above the regional floor: a per diem med-surg CNA shift at Parkridge Medical Center on McCallie Avenue was listed at $24.08 an hour in 2026, though per diem work carries no guaranteed schedule. Hospital postings often favor candidates with prior floor experience.
This is where most first jobs come from. NHC HealthCare Chattanooga has advertised CNA pay starting around $17 an hour with a $2,500 sign-on bonus for full-time hires and tuition reimbursement; its Sequatchie location in Dunlap listed a lower starting rate. NHC has also run its own state-certified CNA training course, a compressed 16-day format offered at no cost to participants. On the home care side, Right at Home Chattanooga lists $16 an hour with paid training, and hospice aide roles through Enhabit and Adoration have posted in the $17.00 to $19.50 range.
At Home Healthcare TN staffs across Bledsoe, Bradley, Hamilton, McMinn, Meigs, Marion, Polk, Rhea, and Sequatchie counties. Cleveland, Athens, Dalton, and Fort Oglethorpe are all commutable.
Tennessee CNAs handle bathing, feeding, toileting, vital signs, and mobility assistance under a licensed nurse's supervision. Many employers treat the role as a feeder into LPN programs in Chattanooga and RN training, which is partly why tuition reimbursement shows up so often in these listings.
Tennessee requires every nurse aide candidate to complete supervised skills lab and clinical hours in person, so no fully online CNA certificate will qualify you to sit for the state exam. CNA programs can move the classroom portion online, and some Chattanooga-area providers do, but the hands-on half has to happen with an instructor watching you work.
A realistic hybrid schedule splits into three pieces: self-paced or live-streamed theory modules you complete on your own time, scheduled lab days where you practice transfers, bed baths, vital signs and the rest of the tested skill set, and clinical shifts in a local nursing home or hospital unit. Lab and clinical dates are fixed, not flexible. If you work days, you need a provider whose lab and clinical blocks run evenings or weekends.
Search results fill up with sites selling online nurse aide certificates for a few hundred dollars. Those courses are not on Tennessee's approved training program list, which means finishing one does not make you eligible for the state competency exam and will not get your name onto the Tennessee Nurse Aide Registry. Employers verify registry status before they hire. A certificate that does not lead to registry listing buys you nothing.
The programs covered further down include providers within commuting distance, and nearby Nursing Schools in Chattanooga often have cohort schedules that suit working adults.
Tennessee sets the minimum training and testing standards, but individual schools and employers can add their own requirements.
Below are the top CNA programs serving Chattanooga students, ranked by cost, outcomes, and program fit. Programs are drawn from public technical colleges, community colleges, and private career schools in the region. Each listing highlights cost, format, and clinical training details.
| Rank | School | Location | Net price | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Miller-Motte College-Chattanooga | Chattanooga, TN | $24,000/yr (est. net price) | Chattanooga career changers wanting rolling starts | |
Miller-Motte College in Chattanooga offers a five-week, 120-hour campus-based CNA program with rolling admissions that start every five weeks. The curriculum covers patient safety, medical terminology, communication, ethics, and HIPAA, preparing students for state licensing exams. The school provides career services and financial aid options, making it a practical entry point for Chattanooga-area students.
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| #2 | Southern Adventist University | Collegedale, TN | $20,000 – $25,000/yr (est.) | Faith-based students needing hybrid clinical hours | |
Southern Adventist University in Collegedale, about 15 miles from downtown Chattanooga, combines online coursework with in-person clinical rotations for its Clinical Nurse Aide program. The four to six month certificate costs $2,000 and includes certification exam fees, payment plans, and employer reimbursement support. Graduates prepare for NRSA and CCMA exams and can work in hospitals, nursing homes, and home health settings.
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| #3 | Roane State Community College | Harriman, TN | $4,000/yr (est. net price) | Public-college seekers needing affordable clinical training | |
Roane State Community College, with CNA training offered at its Oak Ridge Campus about 60 miles from Chattanooga, provides a 120-hour Clinical Nurse Aid program approved by the Tennessee Department of Health. It includes 24 hours of supervised patient care in a long-term care facility and teaches vital signs, personal hygiene, and infection recognition. Eligible students may receive tuition assistance through the American Job Center.
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| #4 | Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Harriman | Harriman, TN | $10,000 – $15,000/yr (est.) | ||
Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Harriman offers a part-time evening Certified Nursing Assistant program about 65 miles from Chattanooga. The 120-hour program costs $1,249 in tuition plus $324 for books and supplies, and includes clinical hours plus classroom instruction. Admissions require students to be at least 16 and pass background, drug, and physical screenings.
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| #5 | Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Knoxville | Knoxville, TN | $20,000 – $25,000/yr (est.) | ||
Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Knoxville provides a fast-paced Nursing Aide program at campuses in Knoxville and Maryville, approximately 100 miles from Chattanooga. The two-month, 120-clock-hour course costs $591 in tuition with total estimated expenses around $850, and offers day and evening schedules. Students gain clinical experience and become eligible for Tennessee's state CNA exam.
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| #6 | Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Oneida-Huntsville | Huntsville, TN | ~$16,000/yr (est.) | ||
Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Oneida-Huntsville offers a Nursing Aide certificate at its Oneida extension campus, about 120 miles from Chattanooga. The 120-hour program combines 80 classroom hours and 40 clinical training hours, with total tuition of $576 and textbook costs around $179. Graduates are eligible for state licensure exams and can enter direct patient care roles.
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| #7 | Walters State Community College | Morristown, TN | ~$5,000/yr (est.) | ||
Walters State Community College, located in Morristown about 130 miles from Chattanooga, offers Certified Nurse Assistant training through its Allied Health division. The campus-based program includes 35 clinical hours, a program fee of $899, and textbook cost around $123. Students must be 18 or older and complete CPR, background, drug, and immunization requirements before clinicals.
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These are common questions about CNA training and certification in the Chattanooga area. Check current details directly with the Tennessee Department of Health before you enroll or change your certification.
