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Richmond offers several routes into home care, including 40-hour Personal Care Aide programs and Virginia Board of Nursing-approved CNA programs.
For someone focused specifically on working in clients’ homes, PCA training can cost as little as $350 and be completed in about 1 to 2 weeks.
CNA training is broader and requires at least 140 clock hours in Virginia, including at least 20 hours of skills-lab instruction and 40 hours of direct clinical care.
The Virginia CNA examination currently costs $140, split between a $45 written or oral exam and a $95 skills evaluation.
1 Community College Workforce Alliance at Reynolds
The Community College Workforce Alliance offers a Virginia Board of Nursing-approved Nurse Aide program at the Reynolds Downtown Campus.
Students complete classroom instruction, skills training, and clinical experience at sites that include VCU Health and August Healthcare.
Program Length
The program contains 140 hours and takes 8 weeks.
Weeks 1 through 4 meet Monday through Thursday, while weeks 5 through 8 meet Monday through Friday.
Regular class hours are 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, with the final 7 clinical days running from 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM.
Cost
Tuition is $3,495.
That price includes instruction, textbooks, one set of scrubs, the background check, and one attempt at the Virginia NNAAP certification exam.
Students separately pay for closed-toe shoes, an analog watch, TB testing, and seasonal flu vaccination when required.
Grant funding can cover up to 100% of tuition for qualifying students.
Admission Requirements
Students must complete a healthcare orientation and pre-test before admission.
Clinical requirements include TB clearance and other required healthcare documentation.
What Makes This Program Worth Considering?
The $3,495 sticker price is high, but it includes several expenses charged separately elsewhere, including the $140 state exam, books, background screening, and scrubs.
The program also provides exactly 140 hours of approved training and clinical experience within major Richmond healthcare facilities.
Address: 700 E. Jackson Street, Richmond, VA 23219
2 Fresh Start Healthcare
Fresh Start Healthcare offers two useful routes for students interested in home care.
Its Board-approved CNA program combines online coursework with on-site skills and clinical training, while its Personal Care Aide program is designed specifically for direct-care and home-care employment.
Program Length
The PCA course contains 40 hours and requires no previous healthcare credential.
The CNA course uses a blended format with online education plus an in-person clinical rotation.
Cost
CNA tuition is $1,300.
The 40-hour PCA program costs $350, while CPR, First Aid, and AED training costs $80 as a separate one-day course.
Fresh Start also offers a 68-hour Medication Aide program for existing CNAs for $725.
Students taking the CNA route should also budget for Virginia testing if it is not included in their individual enrollment package.
The written exam is $45, and the skills exam is $95, for $140 total.
Admission Requirements
PCA training has no prior healthcare prerequisite.
CNA students must complete the school’s enrollment process and satisfy clinical, background, and health requirements.
What Makes This Program Worth Considering?
For someone whose primary goal is home care, the numbers are particularly attractive: 40 hours of training for $350.
Students who later want broader employment options can return for the $1,300 CNA program or add the $725 Medication Aide course after becoming eligible.
Address: 8569 Sanford Drive, Richmond, VA 23228
3 Dominion Health Education Center
Dominion Health Education Center offers a hybrid CNA program with online lecture work and scheduled in-person laboratory and clinical sessions in Richmond.
Training includes infection control, communication, vital signs, personal care, safety, emergency procedures, restorative care, documentation, residents’ rights, and preparation for the Virginia CNA examination.
Program Length
The course takes 9 weeks.
Students attend five 5-hour skills-lab sessions during weeks 2, 8, and 9, plus eleven 5-hour clinical sessions during weeks 3 through 8.
That represents about 80 hours of scheduled in-person skills and clinical work, with the remaining curriculum delivered online.
In-person sessions run Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:30 PM to 9:30 PM.
Cost
Tuition is $1,400, with a $350 nonrefundable deposit required to reserve a seat.
One white scrub top and the electronic course book are provided.
Students supply navy scrub pants, appropriate shoes, and their TB testing.
The Virginia certification exams add $140 if not otherwise covered, producing a basic tuition-plus-exam cost of about $1,540.
Admission Requirements
Students must be at least 17 or in 11th grade or above, read and write English fluently, and provide a negative TB test before clinical training.
What Makes This Program Worth Considering?
Dominion is useful for students who cannot attend school every weekday.
The 9-week hybrid structure limits required campus attendance to two evenings per week, while the $350 deposit lowers the amount needed upfront.
Address: 4746 Finlay Street, Richmond, VA 23231
4 Professional Career Institute
Professional Career Institute offers both Nurse Aide and Personal Care Aide training.
The CNA course covers basic nursing skills, infection control, vital signs, patient positioning, emergency care, personal hygiene, restorative services, medical terminology, anatomy, communication, and supervised clinical experience.
Its PCA program is a shorter option for students primarily interested in personal care, assisted living, or home-care employment.
Program Length
The CNA program takes 6 weeks and meets Monday through Friday.
Day classes run approximately 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, while evening classes run 4:00 PM to 10:00 PM.
The PCA course takes only 2 weeks, with day classes generally running 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM and evening classes from 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM.
Cost
CNA tuition is $1,400.
A payment plan allows students to pay $500 initially, another $500 payment, and a final $400 payment.
The PCA course costs $450.
Adding the $140 Virginia CNA examination brings the basic CNA cost to about $1,540 if testing is not included.
Admission Requirements
CNA applicants generally need identification, background clearance, TB or health documentation, and must satisfy the school’s clinical requirements.
What Makes This Program Worth Considering?
Professional Career Institute has frequent 2026 start dates and offers both day and evening classes.
Someone focused strictly on home care can spend $450 and finish the PCA course in 2 weeks, while the $1,400 CNA program provides a broader credential in 6 weeks.
Address: 9200 Arboretum Parkway, Suite 110, North Chesterfield, VA 23236
5 Virginia School for Nurse Aides and Health Education
Virginia School for Nurse Aides specializes in entry-level healthcare training and offers CNA, Personal Care Aide, and Medication Aide programs.
CNA students receive classroom, skills-lab, and clinical preparation covering personal care, vital signs, infection prevention, patient transfers, restorative care, dementia, hospice care, safety, and communication.
Program Length
The CNA course takes approximately 5 weeks.
The school also offers a 3-week Medication Aide program and a shorter Personal Care Aide pathway.
Cost
Recent published pricing lists the 5-week CNA course at about $1,250 when paid in full or $1,400 when using the payment plan.
The payment plan consists of $700 at registration and $700 approximately 2 weeks later.
Personal Care Aide training is approximately $400, while the 3-week Medication Aide course is about $700 when paid in full.
A combined CNA plus Medication Aide package has been offered for approximately $1,873 when paid upfront.
Admission Requirements
Applicants generally need government-issued identification and a Social Security card, must be able to read and understand English, have daily internet access, satisfy background and clinical requirements, and be physically capable of performing nurse aide duties.
What Makes This Program Worth Considering?
This school gives students several numerical entry points depending on their goals: roughly $400 for PCA training, $1,250 for the CNA course when paid upfront, or about $1,873 for combined CNA and Medication Aide preparation.
The 5-week CNA schedule is also faster than the 8-week and 9-week programs offered by several Richmond competitors.
Address: 621 Moorefield Park Drive, Suite F, Richmond, VA 23236
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