Points of interest…
- In 2027, Virginia requires 120 hours and in-person clinical training.
- Richmond metro nursing assistants earn a median $42,720 per year.
- Richmond-area CNA tuition runs from about $700 to $1,250.
To earn a Virginia nurse aide credential, nursing licensure requirements include at least 120 hours of state-approved training, which most Richmond students finish in four to twelve weeks depending on the schedule they pick. Published tuition in the area runs roughly $700 to $1,500, and the median nursing assistant in the Richmond metro earns about $42,720 a year.
The decision is rarely about tuition alone. Community colleges like Reynolds and Brightpoint, often counted among the best nursing schools in the area, price lower but fill cohorts on a semester calendar; private training centers start more often and move faster, at a higher sticker price. Both have to be Board-approved to get you onto the registry, and no fully online option qualifies.
Where Richmond CNAs Work: Hospitals, Nursing Homes, and Home Health
Hospital jobs carry the name recognition, but nursing homes and home health agencies post more of the openings that new Richmond CNAs actually land. Knowing which side of that split fits your goals helps you choose a CNA training program, and possibly a sponsor.
Hospitals: Fewer Openings, Bigger Conditions
VCU Health, Bon Secours Richmond, and HCA Virginia stand out among the region's most visible CNA employers in 2026 job postings.1 Hospital roles often go by titles such as patient care technician and usually expect rotating coverage. VCU Health's 47-bed pediatric transitional care unit at Children's Hospital of Richmond at Brook Road, for example, required all three shifts plus weekends and holidays. Bonuses exist but come with fine print: that unit offered $2,500 for offers accepted by a February 2026 deadline, and Bon Secours advertised up to $5,000 for eligible candidates. HCA Virginia CNA pay was listed at roughly $33,000 to $43,000 a year.1
Nursing Homes and Home Health: Where Many New CNAs Start
Skilled nursing and rehab facilities hire across every shift and are often open to new graduates. Forest Hill Health & Rehabilitation listed $19.00 to $23.06 an hour with shift differentials and a limited-time sign-on bonus of up to $5,000. August Healthcare at Richmond in Henrico explicitly welcomed new graduates. Home health is another entry point: SYNERGY HomeCare started CNAs at $17 to $18 an hour,2 and VCU Health at Home by BAYADA pays per visit.3 One 2026 market analysis estimated that about 52% of Richmond CNA postings mentioned a sign-on bonus, commonly $2,000 to $4,000 and concentrated in these settings.1 Long-term care is also where employer-sponsored training tends to show up, covered in the free training section below.
Commuting Zones to Consider
- Core metro: Henrico/Glen Allen, Chesterfield, and Mechanicsville keep both jobs and classes within a manageable drive.
- Southside: Petersburg and Colonial Heights add more employers and training sites.
- Regional markets: Charlottesville, Fredericksburg, and Williamsburg are reachable if a program start date or job offer is worth the drive. Readers open to training elsewhere can compare CNA programs in Virginia.
Evening, Weekend, Accelerated, and Hybrid CNA Classes in Richmond
Richmond offers CNA training on nearly every schedule a working adult might need, from compressed daytime cohorts to evening and weekend tracks. The catch is simple time math: Virginia requires at least 120 hours of training, so the faster you finish, the more hours you pack into each week.
The Schedule Options
Community colleges tend to run structured daytime sections. Brightpoint Community College's health care technician coursework at the Chester Campus runs roughly seven weeks and is taught in person.1 Private providers offer the alternative schedules:
- Accelerated daytime: Family 1st of Virginia advertises a four-week daytime format, with tuition starting around $900. Four weeks means near-full-time attendance.
- Evening: Family 1st also runs a longer evening track, and Professional Career Institute off Arboretum Parkway is a state-approved center that schedules evening classes. Dominion Health Education Center lists a roughly nine-week course for about $1,400.2
- Weekend: Bryant & Stratton College offers a weekend-based program of about seven and a half weeks that includes clinical hours.
The pattern is consistent: evening and weekend tracks typically stretch to eight, nine, or more weeks because you simply cannot fit 120 hours into a few weeknights without extending the calendar.
How Hybrid Actually Works
Some Richmond providers, including Fresh Start Healthcare and Family 1st, describe blended or online options. Read these carefully. The lecture and theory portion can often be completed online, but Virginia will not certify you without hands-on skills labs and supervised clinical hours in a long-term care facility. There is no way to finish those requirements from home, so even a "hybrid" or "self-paced" program still puts you in a classroom and a nursing facility for a meaningful stretch.
Confirm Before You Commit
Cohort start dates, weekly meeting times, and clinical placements shift from term to term, and the listings above were not uniformly confirmed for every 2026 session. Call the provider directly, ask when the next cohort begins, and get the clinical schedule in writing before you enroll.
CNA vs. PCA vs. HHA: Make Sure You Enroll in the Right Course
All three roles provide hands-on personal care, but only CNA training qualifies you to sit for the Virginia nurse aide exam and work in hospitals or nursing homes. PCA and HHA courses are shorter and cheaper, but they do not lead to CNA certification or a spot on the state nurse aide registry. If your goal is hospital or nursing home work, pick a CNA program.
How to Become a CNA in Richmond, Step by Step
Virginia ties certification to three things: finishing a Board-approved nurse aide program, passing the state exam, and submitting your application and testing fee. Here is how that plays out in order.
Step 1: Meet Your Program's Enrollment Requirements
Each training program sets its own admission checklist, so confirm the details with the school before you apply. Richmond-area programs commonly ask for:
- Minimum age: Verify the cutoff with the program.
- Identification: A valid photo ID.
- Background check: Clinical sites screen students before they work with patients.
- Health records: A TB test and proof of immunizations for clinical placement.
Step 2: Complete a Board-Approved Program
Your training must be approved by the Virginia Board of Nursing and run at least 120 hours, combining classroom instruction with supervised clinical work.1 Courses that are not on the Board's approved list will not qualify you for the exam, so check approval status first.
One exception applies to nursing students. If you are enrolled in an RN program or one of the LPN programs in Virginia and completed at least one clinical nursing course in the past 12 months with at least 40 hours of direct client care, you may qualify to test without a separate nurse aide course.
Step 3: Pass the Credentia Exam
Credentia administers Virginia's nurse aide exam, which has two required parts: a knowledge test (with an oral option) and a hands-on skills evaluation. You apply through Credentia, and testing fees must be paid before you can schedule, not at the test site. Fee amounts can change, so check Credentia's Virginia candidate handbook for the current figures before you budget.
If you fail, you can retest, but Virginia caps you at three attempts. After a third failure, you must enroll in and complete another approved training program before reapplying.
Timing matters too. You have two years after finishing training to pass both parts. Miss that window and you will need to repeat an approved program.
Step 4: Get Listed on the Registry
Placement on the Virginia Nurse Aide Registry is not automatic when class ends. It happens only after you pass the exam and your application and fees are complete.1 Once listed, you hold the Certified Nurse Aide credential and can work in Virginia facilities.
How Long It Takes
The 120 training hours can be done in a few weeks through fast-track CNA programs, while evening or weekend tracks often stretch over two months or more. Add time for exam scheduling and registry processing, which varies. Most candidates should plan on roughly one to three months from the first day of class to registry listing.
Virginia Nurse Aide Certification at a Glance
Related Articles
What CNA Training Really Costs in Richmond
Published tuition for Richmond-area CNA programs ranges from about $700 to $1,250, but the final price can climb once required supplies and screening costs are added. Community colleges generally run lower than private training centers, and some employers or workforce grants cover part or all of the non-tuition expenses. Students should budget separately for textbooks or workbooks, uniforms or scrubs, nonslip shoes, a watch with a second hand, a background check, a TB test, immunizations, and CPR certification if the program requires it; many schools do not list these fees publicly, so ask for an itemized cost sheet. For net price comparisons across specific schools, see the ranking section below.
| Cost Item | Typical Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| CNA program cost, overall Richmond-area range | $700 to $1,250 | Reported across Richmond-area programs; may include tuition and required fees. |
| Virginia community college CNA program, resident tuition | $600 to $1,500 | Community colleges often charge lower rates than private centers. |
| Reynolds Community College Nurse Aide Education Program | $750 | Specific published tuition figure for this program. |
| Private Richmond-area CNA schools | $800 to $1,500 | Private providers typically charge more than community colleges. |
| Private school example, single program | $1,300 | One Richmond-area private CNA school's published price. |
| Private school example with payment plan | $1,400 | Another Richmond-area private school; payment plans may be available. |
| Community College Workforce Alliance nursing assistant program | $3,495 | Higher-priced option; tuition includes textbooks, exam, background check, and one set of scrubs. |
| Credentia Virginia nurse aide exam | $45 | First attempt includes both skills and written or oral components; non-refundable. |
What Nursing Assistants Earn in the Richmond Metro
The median nursing assistant in the Richmond metro earns $42,720 a year, or about $20.54 an hour. A training cost typical for Richmond CNA programs is often recovered within the first few weeks or months of full-time work at that median wage. Hospital roles and night shifts tend to pay toward the higher end of this range.
Free and Low-Cost CNA Training in Richmond
Can you get free CNA training programs in Richmond without paying out of pocket? Often, yes, but rarely automatically. Most free routes run through an employer, a workforce grant, or a community college funding program, and each comes with conditions. Private training is not free by default either: Fresh Start Healthcare, for example, lists its Nurse Aide/CNA course at $1,300.
Employer-Sponsored Training
Some nursing homes train aides at no upfront cost or reimburse tuition after hiring. Federal rules back this up: Medicare- or Medicaid-certified facilities must reimburse training and testing costs for CNAs they hire within 12 months of certification. That means paying for a class yourself and then landing a job at a certified facility within a year can still get you repaid. No specific Richmond facility is currently verified as advertising paid training, so ask employers directly.
WIOA Funding Through Virginia Career Works
Virginia Career Works, Capital Region, administers federal WIOA training funds. Aid is not guaranteed. It depends on an eligibility determination and on whether funds are available. Because money is limited, priority rules apply, and approval can also hinge on whether the training suits you and leads to a high-demand job. The process generally involves:
- Registration: Create an account in the Virginia Workforce Connection system.
- Assessments: Complete skills and career assessments.
- Application: Submit the WIOA application with eligibility documents.
- Review: Expect roughly one to two weeks for a decision.
Approved funds usually go to an approved training provider through an Individual Training Account. One Virginia source cites $3,000 to $5,000 as a common starting range, though local boards set actual amounts. State approval of a nurse aide program is separate from WIOA approval, so confirm the specific program is on the eligible training provider list.
FastForward and College Aid
Virginia's FastForward grant lowers costs for short workforce credentials at community colleges. Brightpoint, one of the Nursing Schools in Richmond, listed a FastForward Nurse Aide course (HLTH 460003) running August 31 to October 23, 2026, so ask about the next cohort. Reynolds has no 2026 nurse aide cohort currently confirmed. Ask either college whether Pell or other college aid applies; short noncredit courses often don't qualify.
Your Next Step
Before enrolling anywhere, ask: Is this program approved for WIOA or FastForward funding in 2026? What will I owe after the grant? If an employer, will you pay upfront or reimburse, and what work commitment is required?
Nursing Assistant Schools in and Around Richmond
Below are the top CNA programs serving Richmond students, ranked by IPEDS completion data, accreditation status, and program fit. These schools combine classroom instruction, hands-on clinical training, and local workforce connections. For statewide options beyond the Richmond area, browse /cna/programs/va/.
Factors considered
- First-year retention
- Student-to-faculty ratio
- Program accreditation status
- Completion data
- Program format fit
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 | J Sargeant Reynolds Community College | Richmond, VA | ~$5,000/yr (est.) | Richmond career changers needing local clinicals | |
This Richmond community college prepares students through the Community College Workforce Alliance partnership. The training focuses on long-term care skills such as vital signs, personal care, and patient safety. Virginia residents may qualify for tuition assistance that makes the program low-cost or free, with career coaching and job connections included.
| |||||
| #2 | Brightpoint Community College | Chester, VA | $5,000 – $12,000/yr (est.) | Chester-area students seeking medication aide credential | |
This Chester-area community college offers a Career Studies Certificate that combines nurse aide and medication aide preparation. The program includes anatomy, physiology, safety, infection control, and medical documentation training, plus an internship for field experience. Eligible students can access G3 tuition assistance to lower costs.
| |||||
| #3 | Centra College | Lynchburg, VA | ~$13,000/yr (est.) | ||
| #4 | Riverside College of Health Careers | Newport News, VA | $20,000 – $25,000/yr (est.) | ||
| #5 | New River Community College | Dublin, VA | ~$6,000/yr (est.) | ||
| #6 | Laurel Ridge Community College | Middletown, VA | ~$6,000/yr (est.) | ||
| #7 | Germanna Community College | Locust Grove, VA | $5,000 – $12,000/yr (est.) | ||
| #8 | Paul D Camp Community College | Franklin, VA | $5,000 – $11,000/yr (est.) | ||
| #9 | Danville Community College | Danville, VA | $5,000 – $10,000/yr (est.) | ||
| #10 | Virginia Western Community College | Roanoke, VA | $5,000 – $12,000/yr (est.) | ||
Before you pay a deposit, confirm the program is approved by the Virginia Board of Nursing, because only graduates of approved programs can sit for the certification exam.
Richmond CNA Program FAQs
These are the questions prospective nursing assistants most often ask about training, certification, and career requirements in the Richmond area. Answers reflect Virginia Board of Nursing rules as of 2026.
Most Richmond area CNA programs run 4 to 12 weeks, depending on whether you choose accelerated, evening, or standard daytime schedules. After training, you need to schedule and pass the Virginia nurse aide competency evaluation before you can be listed on the state registry and begin working.1
Yes, Reynolds Community College, one of the nursing schools in Virginia, offers a nurse aide training program that prepares students for the Virginia competency evaluation. Contact the college directly for current schedules, since start dates and formats change by term.2
No fully online CNA program exists in Virginia because nurse aide training requires in person skills practice and clinical supervision.1 Some schools offer hybrid formats with online theory and in person labs, but you must complete the hands on clinical component on site.
Yes, Virginia offers endorsement for out of state CNAs through the Board of Nursing online portal, not Credentia.3 You must show completion of a state approved program, current certification elsewhere, and no disqualifying findings. Endorsed CNAs are exempt from Virginia clinical evaluation.3 To transfer a Virginia credential to another state, check that state board for its own process.
Virginia CNA certification renews annually with a $30 fee5 and an attestation that you worked in a nursing related role during the two years before expiration.4 If you did not work, you must pass the state exam again. If your certification lapses more than 90 days, reinstatement requires an application, fee, and either verified qualifying employment or a passed exam. Contact the Board for lapses under 90 days. Continuing education is not required.4
