Books and Supplies for CNA Class: What the $105 Fee Usually Covers

CNA textbook cost in Washington is usually folded into a books and supplies fee rather than charged per item. At Huduma CNA Programs in Federal Way that fee is about $105 for both the 4-week CNA Traditional program ($1,100 tuition) and the 40-hour HCA-CNA Bridge ($800 tuition), and it covers the course textbook and workbook plus the consumable supplies used in the 33 lab hours. It does not cover scrubs, shoes, the $100 skills test, the $55 Credentia knowledge test, or the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) application fee, which is set per the current DOH fee schedule. Knowing the boundary between "included" and "extra" is the difference between a $1,205 estimate and the real all-in figure.

What a books and supplies fee usually includes

Programs bundle items that every student needs and that the program buys in volume. A typical bundle at a private Washington program contains:

• The nursing assistant textbook that matches the Washington State Board of Nursing (WABON) common curriculum and the 12 core competency areas.
• A workbook or study guide with practice questions in the style of the knowledge test.
• Skills checklists for every state-tested skill, used in lab and for home practice.
• Lab consumables: gloves, gowns, masks, wash basins, denture cups, and similar items used during check-offs.
• Handouts and forms, including care plan templates and documentation practice sheets.
• Program ID badge in many programs.

The fee is typically paid at enrollment or on day one, and the materials are issued in class. Some programs let you keep the textbook; others lend it and charge a replacement fee if it is not returned. Ask which applies, because a kept textbook is worth having for the knowledge test and for the first months on the job.

What it usually does not include

Retail figures are typical ranges, not program prices. The point of the table is that the books and supplies fee is one of the smaller lines in the total, and the exam and credential fees, at $155 plus the DOH application, are fixed by the state and the vendor rather than by the school.

Why the fee is separate from tuition

Programs separate the fee for two reasons. First, tuition pays for instruction, the approved lab, clinical placement, and administration, which are the program's own costs; materials are pass-through costs that change with publisher pricing. Second, funders such as WorkSource and WIOA often reimburse books and supplies as a distinct line, so an itemized fee is easier to claim. If a case manager is funding your training, provide the fee breakdown from the program's enrollment paperwork. Funding sources are explained in WorkSource, WIOA, and Basic Food Employment and Training.

The textbook: what to expect

A nursing assistant textbook used in an approved Washington program covers the same content the 35 theory hours teach and the $55 knowledge test measures. Expect chapters on:

1. The nursing assistant role, regulations, and ethics.
2. Resident rights, communication, and cultural considerations.
3. Infection control and standard precautions.
4. Safety, body mechanics, and emergencies.
5. Basic nursing skills: vital signs, measurements, observation.
6. Personal care procedures, step by step.
7. Restorative care, mobility, and positioning.
8. Nutrition, hydration, and elimination.
9. Care of residents with cognitive impairment, mental health needs, and developmental disabilities.
10. End-of-life care.

The workbook mirrors the chapters with multiple-choice practice, which matters because the knowledge test is multiple-choice. Reading assignments between sessions are unavoidable in a 4-week course; a schedule for getting through the textbook is in studying for CNA class.

Should you buy a used or extra textbook?

If the program supplies the textbook, do not buy another copy. Different editions reorder chapters and change practice questions, and the instructor's page references will not match. If the program lends the book and you want a copy to keep for the knowledge test, ask the instructor for the exact title and edition before buying used; a prior edition is usually adequate for content but will not match page numbers.

Free supplements that cost nothing: the Washington skills checklists, which your program issues, and the Credentia candidate handbook for Washington, which describes the knowledge test content areas and is available from Credentia at no charge. The test itself is covered in the Credentia knowledge test for Washington CNAs.

Lab supplies and what students bring

Programs supply the lab's fixed equipment, which under WAC 246-841A-440 must be a board-approved lab, and consumables come out of the fee. Personal wear is on you. The complete wear-and-carry list, including dress code rules the clinical site enforces, is in the CNA training dress code, scrubs, and supplies checklist.

Building the full budget

Using Huduma's published figures and the state's fixed exam fees, a Washington CNA Traditional student's budget looks like this:

For the HCA-CNA Bridge, replace tuition with $800; the books and supplies fee, exam fees, and DOH fees are the same. Retake attempts add $100 per skills attempt and $55 per knowledge attempt. A complete cost walk-through with funding options is in CNA certification cost in Washington, and payment arrangements are in payment plans for CNA training in Washington.

Questions to ask any program about fees

• Is the books and supplies fee refundable if I withdraw before class starts?
• Do I keep the textbook, or is it a loan with a replacement charge?
• Are the stethoscope, cuff, and gait belt supplied, shared, or on my list?
• Is the background check cost inside the fee, inside tuition, or separate?
• Are there make-up session fees, and are those separate from supplies?
• Does the fee change for weekend or evening cohorts?

Get the answers in writing on the enrollment agreement. Washington private career schools are required to state their fees in the enrollment contract, and a fee that is not in the contract is not one you should be paying.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a CNA textbook cost? Most Washington programs bundle it into a books and supplies fee rather than selling it separately. At Huduma the fee is about $105 and includes the textbook, workbook, and lab consumables.

Is the $105 fee included in the $1,100 tuition? No. Tuition and the books and supplies fee are separate lines, so the program cost is about $1,205 before exam and DOH fees.

Do I need to buy scrubs from the program? Usually not. Programs specify a color and you buy scrubs from any retailer; the fee does not cover them.

Can WIOA or WorkSource pay for books and supplies? Often yes, as a separate line in the training plan. Provide the program's itemized fee breakdown to your case manager.

Are exam fees part of the supplies fee? No. The $100 skills test and $55 knowledge test are paid to the test site and Credentia respectively, and the DOH application fee is per the current DOH fee schedule.

Program fees and the hour breakdown are on the CNA Traditional program page and the HCA-CNA Bridge program page.