CNA Classes Near Kennewick, WA: Programs, Costs, and Commute to Federal Way

Kennewick residents have three ways to become a Nursing Assistant-Certified (NA-C): Columbia Basin College's nursing assistant program, run through its Health Science Center in Richland (the main campus is in Pasco), offered fall, winter, and spring per the college's 2026-27 application packet; a nursing facility that trains new hires as Nursing Assistant-Registered (NAR) employees; or a private 4-week, 108-clock-hour course such as Huduma CNA Programs in Federal Way, $1,100 tuition plus about $105 for books, with the skills test on site. Federal Way is roughly 230 miles from Kennewick, so the private course is realistic for a student who will stay in Puget Sound for four weeks or is moving there for work, and the school's 40-hour HCA bridge is the option that fits a Tri-Cities Home Care Aide who can only spare one week. Every route meets the same state floor: 108 hours split 35 theory, 33 lab, and 40 clinical, then the $155 two-part exam.

Three options for a Kennewick student

Columbia Basin College is the default answer for a Kennewick resident who can meet its prerequisites and wait for the quarter. The facility route suits someone who needs a paycheck immediately. The Federal Way course suits a student who wants a fixed four-week calendar, no placement-test prerequisite, and a Puget Sound job market on graduation.

What Columbia Basin College requires before you apply

The college's 2026-27 application packet, published on its own site, spells out the entry conditions, which are stricter than many private programs:

• Placement: Math 50 or higher, Reading 99 or higher, and English 101 placement.
• Current American Heart Association BLS CPR and First Aid before the application, not after.
• A reference letter with the application.
• A national background check after acceptance and before registration, listed at about $150 in the packet, plus a drug screen at about $50.
• Clinical hours at a minimum of 36 in a local health care facility, with shifts starting as early as 6 a.m., arranged by instructors.

The packet lists per-quarter tuition at about $1,300, textbooks around $90, scrubs $75 to $100, and state testing fees. Add the pieces and the college route costs about the same as the private course, with the difference being calendar and prerequisites rather than price. Whether a college or private program is the better fit is discussed in community college vs private CNA school in Washington.

Why a Kennewick student would train 230 miles away

Three groups of Kennewick residents choose the Federal Way course:

1. People relocating to Puget Sound. Indeed's Kennewick nursing assistant salary page, updated September 11, 2026 from 217 posted salaries, shows an average of about $20.98 per hour; the same source puts the Washington average at about $23.62 and Everett at about $24.89. Training where you plan to work lets you do the 40 clinical hours and the job search in the same market.
2. Students with family or housing on the west side. Four weeks with a relative in King or Pierce County turns a 4-week course into a practical plan; the school is a short walk from Federal Way Downtown Station.
3. Active HCAs. The 40-hour HCA to CNA bridge runs Monday through Friday in one week, which is one trip over Snoqualmie Pass and back. That option has its own guide: HCA to CNA bridge near Kennewick, WA.

A Kennewick resident who intends to stay in the Tri-Cities and is not an HCA should usually choose Columbia Basin College or a facility program; the daily commute from Kennewick is not feasible for a 20-day course.

Getting from Kennewick to Federal Way

• Driving: about 230 miles via I-82 west through Yakima, I-90 over Snoqualmie Pass, then I-405 or SR 18 to Federal Way; roughly 3.5 to 4 hours in clear conditions. WSDOT posts pass conditions; winter closures happen.
• Bus: Greyhound's Pasco to Seattle page lists two daily departures at about 4 hours 50 minutes. From Seattle, the 1 Line runs south to Federal Way Downtown Station, which is next to the school.
• Local end: Ben Franklin Transit's routes page lists the Three Rivers Transit Center in Kennewick, the 22nd Avenue Transit Center in Pasco, and connector routes 123 and 170 linking Kennewick, Pasco, and Richland.

For a 4-week student, the trip happens twice: once at the start and once at the end. Lodging anywhere along the 1 Line or the RapidRide A Line puts the school within one transit ride.

Costs beyond tuition, for either path

Financial help exists on both sides. WorkSource Columbia Basin serves Benton and Franklin counties, and Basic Food Employment and Training can cover approved training; the mechanics are in WorkSource, WIOA, and Basic Food Employment and Training.

Employers a Kennewick graduate reaches

Kennewick's hospital is Trios Southridge, at 3810 Plaza Way per the Trios Health locations page, with an emergency room and birth center on campus. Across the rivers are Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland, home to the region's only Level III neonatal intensive care unit per Providence's location page, and Lourdes Medical Center on North 4th Avenue in Pasco. Skilled nursing facilities, assisted living, and adult family homes cluster along Clearwater Avenue, in Southridge, and near the Columbia Center area. A graduate who trained in Federal Way and returns home holds the same statewide credential; the DOH does not care where the 108 hours happened. Setting-by-setting detail is in CNA jobs in Kennewick, WA.

The Federal Way course, briefly

The CNA Traditional program covers 35 theory, 33 lab, and 40 clinical hours in 4 weeks under licensed-nurse instructors, with day and weekend patterns, a background check before clinical placement, a Certificate of Completion, and the $100 skills test administered on site. Entry requires a high school diploma or GED; instruction is in English. Dates are on the schedules page.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a CNA class in Kennewick itself? The nearest college program is Columbia Basin College's, run from its Health Science Center at 891 Northgate Drive in Richland per the college's campus map; the main campus is in Pasco. Some Kennewick nursing facilities train new hires as NARs.

Can I commute daily from Kennewick to the Federal Way course? No. At roughly 230 miles each way it is a relocation for four weeks, not a commute.

Does Columbia Basin College require CPR before I apply? Yes. The college's 2026-27 application packet requires current American Heart Association BLS CPR and First Aid at application.

Which is cheaper, CBC or the private course? Roughly comparable once fees, books, and checks are added, per the college's own cost estimates. The private course has a fixed $1,100 tuition and no placement prerequisite.

Will a Federal Way certificate work in the Tri-Cities? Yes. The NA-C is issued by the DOH and valid statewide.

What does the Tri-Cities pay compared with Puget Sound? Indeed's September 2026 Kennewick figure is about $20.98 per hour versus about $23.62 statewide; both are approximate posting averages.

The full certification sequence after any program is in how to become a CNA in Washington State.