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If you need help paying for school or training, there are many different places to get financial aid. Financial aid comes in three forms — grants or scholarships (which give you money that you never need to pay back), loans (which must be paid back a certain number of years after you finish school) and work-study, which connects you with part-time jobs that are close to campus and reserved for students so you can earn money to help pay for classes, books and living expenses.

Many students use several different sources to put together the money they need to pay for the school or training. To learn more about specific places you can get money for school, click here. +More

Some employers — especially large employers like hospitals, medical centers and universities — will pay some or all of the costs of job-related education and training. Tuition reimbursement is available for employees who enroll in training programs or higher-education courses that will enhance their skills and knowledge related to the job. Tuition reimbursement programs differ by employer, so ask about eligibility before you are hired or once you have the job.

There’s financial aid specifically available for California students in the form of scholarships and loans. The California Health Professions Education Foundation has created a list of the programs that could make it possible for you to afford training and make it easier to cover the costs. Check out the options at www.oshpd.ca.gov/HPEF/Schlrshp.html.