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

There is no Washington State Board of Nursing (WABON) approved nursing assistant program inside Sammamish, so every resident travels for training. The closest college options are Bellevue College, whose Nursing Assistant Certified certificate is 10 credits and 176 hours of classroom, lab, and clinical time per the college's program page, and Lake Washington Institute of Technology (LWTech) in Kirkland, listed by WABON as a traditional college program. The fastest fixed-price option is the 4-week, 108-hour Nursing Assistant-Certified (NA-C) course at Huduma CNA Programs in Federal Way: $1,100 tuition, about $105 in books, day or weekend pattern, skills test on site. Federal Way is about 34 miles from Sammamish by I-90 and SR 18, or a bus-and-rail trip on King County Metro's Route 269 to Mercer Island Station and the 2 Line and 1 Line.

Three options for a Sammamish student

A student who can wait for the next quarter and wants a campus environment on the Eastside picks Bellevue College or LWTech. A student who needs to start within weeks, wants a weekend pattern, or holds an HCA credential picks the Federal Way course and accepts the longer trip for 20 class days.

What the 108-hour standard means for any of these

WAC 246-841A-440 requires every approved Washington program to deliver at least 108 clock hours: 35 of classroom theory, 33 of skills lab, and 40 of clinical practice in a licensed nursing facility. A quarter-long college course spreads those hours across roughly 11 weeks of shorter sessions; a 4-week course reaches the same hours with full days. Bellevue College's 176-hour figure exceeds the state floor and includes additional college coursework. All three lead to the same two-part exam: a $100 skills test, then a $55 Credentia knowledge test, $155 total. The rule and its history are explained in WAC 246-841A explained.

Getting from Sammamish to Federal Way

By car. The direct route from the Sammamish plateau is I-90 east to exit 25, SR 18 south to Federal Way, and I-5 or local streets to the school near Federal Way Downtown Station. Distance calculators put the trip at about 34 miles; plan 45 to 55 minutes off-peak. SR 18 avoids the I-405 and I-5 congestion that a route through Bellevue and Renton would meet, and the Federal Way Downtown garage is next to the school.

By transit. King County Metro's fall 2026 service change, described by the agency and by regional transit reporting, moves Route 269 to a Marymoor Village to Mercer Island Station pattern along 228th Avenue and I-90, with 15-minute weekday peak frequency and new weekend daytime service. From Mercer Island Station, the 2 Line runs west to Seattle, where a transfer at Chinatown/International District Station to the 1 Line southbound reaches Federal Way Downtown. Plan about 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours each way and check timetables before choosing a weekend cohort, since weekend frequency on the 269 is lower.

By car to rail. Drive to Mercer Island Station, where a 447-space garage opened with the station per regional reporting, or to Issaquah Transit Center for Sound Transit's 554 to Seattle, then ride the trains. This is the middle option for a plateau resident who wants to avoid SR 18 in the dark.

Costs, itemized

Sammamish households generally sit above income limits for Basic Food Employment and Training, but WorkSource and WIOA funding depends on employment status rather than city; the mechanics are in WorkSource, WIOA, and Basic Food Employment and Training. Statewide grants are listed in CNA training grants and scholarships in Washington State.

Day cohort or weekend cohort from the plateau

• Day cohort. Twenty weekday class days over four weeks. Best for someone between jobs or a parent with weekday childcare who wants the credential in one month. The 269's new 15-minute peak frequency helps the morning trip; the return trip on the 1 Line runs through the Seattle afternoon peak.
• Weekend cohort. The same 108 hours on Saturdays and Sundays over more weeks. Best for a Sammamish resident working weekdays, including many caregivers in Eastside senior living. Lighter SR 18 traffic makes driving the better weekend choice.
• HCA bridge. Active Home Care Aides take 40 hours in 5 weekdays or about 2.5 weekends for $800, which trims the trip count from 20 to about 5.

The 33 lab hours in the traditional course exist so the first attempt at the skills test is the last; the rule that programs must allow at least four attempts is a backstop, not a plan. What the lab looks like is in inside the CNA skills lab.

Where a Sammamish graduate works

Swedish Issaquah on NE Blakely Drive, with an emergency room, birth center with a Level II NICU, orthopedic institute, and cancer institute per Swedish's location pages, is the closest hospital to the plateau. Overlake in Bellevue and EvergreenHealth in Kirkland are the next two. Indeed's September 2026 posting data lists about $23.77 per hour for nursing assistants in Issaquah and about $26.08 in Redmond, approximate; Sammamish itself is not reported separately. Employers by setting are in CNA jobs in Sammamish, WA.

The Federal Way course in detail

The CNA Traditional program covers 35 theory, 33 lab, and 40 clinical hours under licensed-nurse instructors with recent direct-care experience, in 4 weeks, in English. It requires a high school diploma or GED and a clear background check before clinical placement, issues a Certificate of Completion, and administers the $100 skills test on site. Current cohort dates for day, weekend, and bridge patterns are on the schedules page.

Frequently asked questions

Are there CNA classes in Sammamish itself? No. The nearest approved programs are Bellevue College, LWTech in Kirkland, facility-based programs in nursing homes, and the 4-week course in Federal Way.

How far is Federal Way from Sammamish? About 34 miles by I-90 and SR 18, roughly 45 to 55 minutes off-peak; about two hours by Route 269, the 2 Line, and the 1 Line.

Is the 4-week course the same standard as a college quarter? Yes. Both must meet the 108-hour WAC minimum and both lead to the same $155 exam. Bellevue College's certificate adds hours beyond the minimum.

Can I take the skills test on the Eastside after training in Federal Way? The course administers the skills test on site in Federal Way at the end of class, so no separate booking is needed.

Does the Federal Way course have a weekend option? Yes. The weekend cohort covers the same 108 hours on Saturdays and Sundays over more weeks.

Do I need to live near Federal Way to enroll? No. The NA-C is a statewide credential, and Eastside residents enroll on the same terms.

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