Free medical assistant training

Job Corps offers no-cost job training to young adults with limited income, from 16 through 24 years old. It's residential, meaning you stay at the center during your training. Your room, food, basic health care and a living allowance all come at no cost to you.

Among its offerings is a Clinical Medical Assistant program, where students can earn credentials such as the CCMA. To begin, you need a high school diploma or the equivalent. If that's still on your to-do list, any Job Corps center can help you earn one.

WIOA is a federal program that helps job seekers get employment, education, training and support services. If you're eligible for WIOA training services, your state's approved training provider list is a place to look for training options.

A Pell Grant is money for school that you typically don't have to pay back; for the 2026-27 award year, the most you can receive is $7,395.

Of the 1,094 programs on our list, 1,049 are at schools that take part in federal student aid, so it's worth asking the school whether your program qualifies for a Pell Grant. And from July 1, 2026, Workforce Pell will open Pell Grants up to students in short-term workforce programs too.

How far a grant goes depends on the type of school you pick. Prices that schools published for 2023-24 in IPEDS vary widely by school type.

These prices cover different periods: one year at public colleges and the whole program at career schools.

In a registered apprenticeship, your pay starts on your first day. You make money while you train, and raises are guaranteed as your skills improve.

Accreditation means a program has been checked by an outside organization, CAAHEP or ABHES. Of the 1,094 programs on our list, 484 hold accreditation.

Just 30 programs offer every class through distance education, and only 14 of those hold accreditation. Even there, the supervised clinical practice known as a practicum or externship must happen face to face.