Medical Assistant Programs With Financial Aid

Medical assistants are vital members of any healthcare team. They bridge the gap between administrative and clinical care teams and help healthcare facilities run smoothly. As a medical assistant, you will have clinical duties like taking patient histories, giving injections, performing EKGs, and collecting lab specimens, along with administrative responsibilities, including patient communication, scheduling, and medical billing and coding. 

To become a certified medical assistant in California, you must graduate from a medical assistant program. Thankfully, you might not have to pay for your education entirely out-of-pocket, as there are options for medical assistant programs with financial aid.

Medical Assistant Programs Offering Financial Aid

Some of the medical assistant programs with financial aid can be found in the table below.

Definitions: NCMA – National Certified Medical Assistant, CET – Certified EKG Technician, NCPT – National Certified Phlebotomy Technician, CPT-1 – Certified Phlebotomy Technician (California requirement), CCMA – Certified Clinical Medical Assistant, RMA – Registered Medical Assistant, CMA – Certified Medical Assistant

Choosing a Medical Assistant Program

In California, medical assistant program costs vary from free (for an 11-week program) to over $40,000. But cost isn’t the only factor to consider when choosing a medical assistant program. 

Not all medical assisting schools are created equal, and not all provide the same credentials when you graduate. To get the most from your education, you should pick a school with a scheduled externship (so you’re not on your own to find one), thorough coursework to help you pass your NCCT Medical Assisting exam, and enough hours of hands-on training to get certified in California. 

Another thing to consider is whether the school is accredited. Accreditation is the process schools go through to prove to a regulatory board they are providing an excellent education and experience to their students. Employers in California know which schools are accredited and are much more likely to hire someone from an accredited institution. Another critical aspect of choosing an accredited school is that you will be eligible for federal financial aid.

Financial Aid Basics

Financial aid can help cover tuition, fees, books, supplies, and living expenses during your program. There are different forms and sources of financial aid available. The most common form is federal student aid, which you apply for by filling out the FAFSA. Federal financial aid can include subsidized and unsubsidized loans, grants, scholarships, or work-study programs. This kind of financial aid is only available for fully accredited programs.

BAMA’s Medical Assistant Program Offers Many Financial Aid Options

BAMA’s fully accredited medical assistant program with financial aid aims to make your transition from student to professional as seamless as possible. When you graduate from BAMA’s 3-in-1 medical assistant program with financial aid, you will have three different certifications:

• National Certified Medical Assistant (NCMA)
• Certified EKG Technician (CET)
• California Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT-I) / National Certified Phlebotomy Technician (NCPT)

At BAMA, we have specific scholarships available, including scholarships for African-American, Latinx, Asian American, and Indigenous-American students. We also work closely with students to help them determine what federal student aid and Pell grants they may be eligible for to help fund their education. Students at BAMA often qualify for multiple funding sources using a combination of scholarships, FAFSA awards, and Workforce Innovation and Opportunity grants to help cover tuition and certification/licensing fees. Some students even qualify for our Free* Medical Assistant Training Program.

If you want more information about our medical assistant programs with financial aid, reach out to an admissions representative.