Free tool 3 of 3 — the decoder nobody else computes

CNA training reimbursement decoder

You paid for your own training. A nursing facility hired you within 12 months of finishing. Federal law says the facility owes that money back to you, pro rata. Facilities rarely volunteer this. Schools never mention it. Here is your number.

Does a facility owe you training money?

What did you pay for your training, in total? ($) Date you finished the training program Date a nursing facility hired you (leave empty if not hired yet) Who hired you (or would hire you)? Months you have worked for that facility so far (optional) Your state

The rule, in plain words

42 CFR 483.152(c) has two halves:

A facility can't charge its own aides

If a nursing facility employs you — or has offered you a job — it may not charge you for any part of your training program or competency exam, including textbooks.

Paid yourself? Hired within 12 months?

Then the state must provide for reimbursement of your costs on a pro rata basis during your employment: the share grows across your first year, reaching the full amount at 12 months. Minnesota is faster — full reimbursement after 90 days (Stat. 144A.611).

In April 2026, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services formally restated this rule to every state (memo QSO-26-08-NH) and told states to make trainees aware of it. Awareness is still near zero — which is why this decoder exists. The verdict gives you the figure and the ask sequence: written request to payroll, receipts attached, the citation, and who to call at the state if the answer is no.

This decoder computes from the facts you type. It is information about a federal rule, not legal advice, and your state's program runs the actual payment.