[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog-how-to-start-a-cna-school-in-louisiana-2026-guide":3},{"slug":4,"title":5,"text":6,"is_active":7,"best_states":8,"image_url":15,"summary":16,"created_by":17,"created_at":18,"updated_at":19,"cta_btn_text":17,"cta_btn_link":17,"published_at":20,"categories":21,"id":22},"how-to-start-a-cna-school-in-louisiana-2026-guide","How to Start a CNA School in Louisiana (2026 Guide)","\u003Cp>Louisiana gives you one of the clearest CNA training rules in the country — a minimum \u003Cstrong>80-hour curriculum split exactly in half: 40 classroom hours and 40 clinical hours\u003C\u002Fstrong> — and then wraps it in a two-agency approval process that catches most first-time school owners off guard. The Louisiana Department of Health's Health Standards Section approves your Nurse Aide Training Program (NATP), but a private school selling tuition to the public also needs a \u003Cstrong>proprietary school license from the Louisiana Board of Regents\u003C\u002Fstrong>, complete with a surety bond and an advisory commission that only meets six times a year. Miss that second track and you're not opening on schedule.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The market, meanwhile, is wide open. Louisiana employs more than 17,000 CNAs, hundreds of aide positions sit posted at any given moment, and the state's own workforce reporting projects a severe nursing-workforce gap by 2030. There's even a statutory moratorium on new nursing facility beds through at least mid-2027 — which means demand for aides is concentrated at the existing homes, all of whom need certified staff within the federal four-month employment window.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We work with CNA and allied-health schools every day — Texana Training Solutions in Texas, Core Medical Services in Alabama, Premier Medical Training, and dozens more — running their enrollment, records, and compliance operations, so we've seen exactly where Louisiana founders lose time. This guide lays out both approval tracks in order. Quick note: this is practical guidance from operators, not legal advice — verify current rules with the agencies named below before you commit money.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2>Quick Facts: CNA School Requirements in Louisiana\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Ctable>\n\u003Cthead>\n\u003Ctr>\n\u003Cth>Item\u003C\u002Fth>\n\u003Cth>Requirement\u003C\u002Fth>\n\u003C\u002Ftr>\n\u003C\u002Fthead>\n\u003Ctbody>\n\u003Ctr>\n\u003Ctd>Total training hours\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003Ctd>80 minimum\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003C\u002Ftr>\n\u003Ctr>\n\u003Ctd>Classroom vs. clinical\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003Ctd>40 classroom \u002F 40 clinical, fixed by rule (LAC 48:I.10015) — plus a separate 4-hour site orientation that does not count\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003C\u002Ftr>\n\u003Ctr>\n\u003Ctd>Credential\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003Ctd>Certified Nurse Aide (CNA)\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003C\u002Ftr>\n\u003Ctr>\n\u003Ctd>Approving agency\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003Ctd>Louisiana Department of Health, Health Standards Section (HSS)\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003C\u002Ftr>\n\u003Ctr>\n\u003Ctd>Application\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003Ctd>LDH NATP New Program Application Packet (no LDH fee listed)\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003C\u002Ftr>\n\u003Ctr>\n\u003Ctd>Also required\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003Ctd>Louisiana Board of Regents proprietary school license + $10,000 surety bond (private schools)\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003C\u002Ftr>\n\u003Ctr>\n\u003Ctd>Exam vendor\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003Ctd>Prometric (written\u002Foral + clinical skills, $125)\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003C\u002Ftr>\n\u003Ctr>\n\u003Ctd>Registry\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003Ctd>Louisiana Certified Nurse Aide Registry (LCNAR)\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003C\u002Ftr>\n\u003Ctr>\n\u003Ctd>Typical time to approval\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003Ctd>~5–9 months (Regents commission meets six times\u002Fyear)\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003C\u002Ftr>\n\u003Ctr>\n\u003Ctd>Instructor requirement\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003Ctd>RN coordinator, 2 yrs experience incl. 1 yr elderly\u002Fchronically ill care, plus a train-the-trainer course\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003C\u002Ftr>\n\u003C\u002Ftbody>\n\u003C\u002Ftable>\n\u003Ch2>Step 1 — Form your business entity\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>Louisiana's one-stop business portal is \u003Cstrong>geauxBIZ\u003C\u002Fstrong> (geauxbiz.sos.la.gov), run by the Secretary of State. Filing LLC Articles of Organization (with the required Initial Report) costs \u003Cstrong>$100\u003C\u002Fstrong> — about $105 online with card processing — and expedited service is available for $30–$50 if you're in a hurry. The annual report afterward is a modest $30.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Get your free EIN from the IRS and open a dedicated business bank account. The Board of Regents proprietary school application requires a business plan and financials, so a clean set of books from month one isn't optional bookkeeping hygiene — it's application material.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2>Step 2 — Register for state taxes\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>Register with the Louisiana Department of Revenue through \u003Cstrong>LaTAP\u003C\u002Fstrong> (the Louisiana Taxpayer Access Point). Good news on tuition: after Louisiana's 2024 sales-tax overhaul (effective January 1, 2025), taxable services are exclusively the ones enumerated in statute — and educational or instructional services aren't on the list, so CNA tuition isn't subject to sales tax. Watch the goods side, though: textbooks, skills kits, and scrubs you sell to students are tangible property taxed at the 5% state rate plus local rates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When you hire instructors, register with the \u003Cstrong>Louisiana Workforce Commission\u003C\u002Fstrong> for unemployment insurance at laworks.net — you'll get an employer account number and rate instantly online.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2>Step 3 — Secure your location, classroom, and skills lab\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>Louisiana's application asks you to identify the \u003Cstrong>physical locations\u003C\u002Fstrong> of both classroom and clinical instruction, and the packet includes a Basic Equipment & Supply List — use it as your shopping list rather than guessing. Plan a lab that supports the state's Skills Performance Record: hospital bed, mannequin, wheelchair and transfer equipment, working sink for handwashing and personal care, vitals equipment, and privacy screening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two capacity numbers to design around: Louisiana caps the classroom at \u003Cstrong>23 students per instructor\u003C\u002Fstrong> and clinical groups at \u003Cstrong>10 trainees per instructor\u003C\u002Fstrong>. A certificate of occupancy is one of the required documents in the proprietary school application, so settle zoning and occupancy before you file anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2>Step 4 — Apply for state program approval\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>Louisiana is a true double-licensure state. Sequence the two tracks deliberately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Track one: Board of Regents proprietary school license.\u003C\u002Fstrong> A private business selling vocational courses to the public is a proprietary school under R.S. 17:3140.1 et seq., and a CNA course — which exists to prepare people for employment — doesn't fit the exemptions. The application follows the PSC-14 checklist: roughly fourteen document categories including the application itself, business plan, financials, certificate of occupancy, enrollment contract, catalog, instructor applications, and refund-policy affidavits, plus a mandatory initial-license training webinar. Budget a \u003Cstrong>$2,000 initial license fee\u003C\u002Fstrong>, a \u003Cstrong>$1,000 Student Protection Fund payment\u003C\u002Fstrong>, and a \u003Cstrong>$10,000 surety bond\u003C\u002Fstrong> (premiums typically run $100–$300\u002Fyear); anyone recruiting students needs a bonded solicitor permit too. Here's the timing catch: applications are reviewed by the \u003Cstrong>Advisory Commission on Proprietary Schools, which meets six times a year\u003C\u002Fstrong> — build your whole calendar around the next meeting date.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Track two: LDH NATP approval.\u003C\u002Fstrong> The Health Standards Section's New Program Application Packet (current versions dated mid-2025) includes the NATP application, checklist, policy\u002Fprocedure template, curriculum and Skills Performance Record templates, and a Clinical Site Status form. Two Louisiana quirks to respect: you must use a \u003Cstrong>state-approved published curriculum\u003C\u002Fstrong> — Hartman's \u003Cem>Nursing Assisting: A Foundation in Caregiving\u003C\u002Fem> (6th ed.) or AHCA's \u003Cem>How to be a Nurse Assistant\u003C\u002Fem> (8th ed.) — and as a non-facility program you must attach a \u003Cstrong>clinical contract with a licensed nursing home\u003C\u002Fstrong> meeting LDH's specific content requirements (purpose stated, teach-out protection if cancelled, notice if the home loses NATCEP eligibility, dates and signatures). No LDH application fee is listed. Expect a survey within your first year of approval and every two years after; unannounced visits must be allowed or the program is terminated, and a program that goes two years without training anyone is closed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2>Step 5 — Hire a qualified program coordinator and instructors\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>Louisiana's staffing rule (LAC 48:I.10017) is specific:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Program coordinator:\u003C\u002Fstrong> an RN with at least \u003Cstrong>2 years of nursing experience, including at least 1 year caring for the elderly or chronically ill\u003C\u002Fstrong> (nursing facility, geriatrics, chronic care, or similar), \u003Cstrong>plus\u003C\u002Fstrong> completion of VTIE, CTTIE, a train-the-trainer-type program, or a master's degree or higher. The coordinator can oversee at most two programs at once and must be on premises at least 50% of the program's duration.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Instructors:\u003C\u002Fstrong> RNs or LPNs with current Louisiana licenses; LPNs can teach under the coordinator's general supervision if they have 2 years of experience caring for the elderly or chronically ill.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Ful>\n\u003Cp>One trap: train-the-trainer courses only count if delivered by an \u003Cstrong>LDH-approved trainer\u003C\u002Fstrong> — the state publishes the approved list, so check it before your coordinator pays for a course that won't qualify.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2>Step 6 — Build or buy a state-compliant curriculum\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>The structure is fixed: \u003Cstrong>80 hours minimum, 40 classroom and 40 clinical\u003C\u002Fstrong>, with at least \u003Cstrong>16 hours of instruction\u003C\u002Fstrong> — communication, safety and emergency procedures, infection control, residents' rights — delivered before any trainee touches a resident. On top of that sits the \u003Cstrong>4-hour clinical-site orientation\u003C\u002Fstrong> covering the facility's structure, policies, and philosophy of care, which explicitly does \u003Cem>not\u003C\u002Fem> count toward the 80.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You won't be writing a curriculum from scratch, because Louisiana doesn't let you: pick Hartman 6th edition or AHCA 8th edition and budget for publisher textbooks, instructor guides, and workbooks per student. Your job is mapping the required topics and the Skills Performance Record onto the 40 classroom hours — and drilling the skills that Prometric tests.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2>Step 7 — Set up clinical site agreements\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>Clinical training must happen in a \u003Cstrong>licensed nursing home or a hospital-based skilled nursing unit\u003C\u002Fstrong> — no assisted living, no clinics. Your nursing home contract isn't just a handshake: LDH requires specific terms and won't hand you a template, so draft carefully (training purpose stated, current class allowed to finish if the contract is cancelled, notification if the facility loses NATCEP eligibility under 42 CFR 483.151(b)(2), begin\u002Fend dates, names, titles, signatures).\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Know the consumer-protection rules too: an aide employed by — or holding an offer from — a facility can't be charged for training, and the state reimburses self-paying graduates pro-rata if a facility hires them within 12 months. That's a selling point for your students, and a reason facilities like partnering with schools. The bed moratorium means the pool of possible partners isn't growing — build two relationships, not one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2>Step 8 — Understand testing and the state registry\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Prometric runs Louisiana's competency exam\u003C\u002Fstrong>, confirmed on LDH's own pages. The test has a knowledge portion (written or oral) and a clinical skills portion; the combined fee is \u003Cstrong>$125\u003C\u002Fstrong> (retakes: $40 written-only, $85 skills-only), paid to Prometric and nonrefundable. Candidates get \u003Cstrong>three attempts at each portion\u003C\u002Fstrong> before retraining is required — track every graduate's attempts so nobody burns through them unsupported.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Students test at regional Prometric sites, or — and this is worth pursuing — your school can become a test site through Prometric's \u003Cstrong>In-Facility Testing\u003C\u002Fstrong> program: sign an In-Facility Contract, then request test events (minimum candidate counts apply). Testing on your own beds, in the lab where students trained, measurably helps pass rates. Passers land on the \u003Cstrong>Louisiana Certified Nurse Aide Registry (LCNAR)\u003C\u002Fstrong> with certification valid for two years, verifiable through the Prometric\u002FLDH registry lookup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2>Step 9 — Set up enrollment, payments, and student records\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>Between LDH's Skills Performance Records, unannounced survey visits, the Regents' enrollment-contract and refund-policy rules, and Prometric completion reporting, a Louisiana school runs on documentation. This is where the schools we work with use Transition: branded online enrollment, e-signed enrollment contracts (the Regents care about these), payment plans, attendance tracked against the 40\u002F40 hour split, skills checklists tied to each student, automated onboarding email and SMS, and completion surveys — one system instead of spreadsheets, Jotform, Square, and paper files. When the surveyor shows up unannounced, that matters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2>Step 10 — Launch with a local marketing plan\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>Claim your Google Business Profile early and collect a review from every graduating class — \"CNA classes near me\" in Baton Rouge, New Orleans, or Shreveport is a reviews game. Then plug into the state's machinery: the \u003Cstrong>Louisiana Workforce Commission\u003C\u002Fstrong> runs \u003Cstrong>HiRE\u003C\u002Fstrong> (louisianaworks.net\u002Fhire), the statewide jobs-and-training portal, and WIOA Eligible Training Provider listings run through LWC — funded seats for your classes. Introduce yourself to your local workforce development board and to every nursing home administrator within 30 minutes; the four-month federal certification deadline for newly hired aides makes you the solution to their compliance problem. A simple website with schedule, price, and an online application — answered same-day — completes the picture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2>What it really costs\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>Estimates for a single-classroom private school; treat these as planning ranges.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ctable>\n\u003Cthead>\n\u003Ctr>\n\u003Cth>Item\u003C\u002Fth>\n\u003Cth>Estimated range\u003C\u002Fth>\n\u003C\u002Ftr>\n\u003C\u002Fthead>\n\u003Ctbody>\n\u003Ctr>\n\u003Ctd>LLC formation + filings\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003Ctd>$150 – $300\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003C\u002Ftr>\n\u003Ctr>\n\u003Ctd>Regents license, Student Protection Fund, bond premium, solicitor permit\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003Ctd>$3,200 – $4,500\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003C\u002Ftr>\n\u003Ctr>\n\u003Ctd>Liability insurance (general + professional)\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003Ctd>$2,000 – $5,000\u002Fyr\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003C\u002Ftr>\n\u003Ctr>\n\u003Ctd>Lease deposit + build-out\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003Ctd>$4,000 – $20,000\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003C\u002Ftr>\n\u003Ctr>\n\u003Ctd>Skills lab equipment (per LDH supply list)\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003Ctd>$7,000 – $18,000\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003C\u002Ftr>\n\u003Ctr>\n\u003Ctd>Approved curriculum materials (publisher textbooks\u002Fkits)\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003Ctd>$1,500 – $4,000\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003C\u002Ftr>\n\u003Ctr>\n\u003Ctd>Coordinator train-the-trainer + payroll before revenue\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003Ctd>$6,000 – $18,000\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003C\u002Ftr>\n\u003Ctr>\n\u003Ctd>Marketing at launch\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003Ctd>$1,500 – $5,000\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003C\u002Ftr>\n\u003Ctr>\n\u003Ctd>\u003Cstrong>Bottom line\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003Ctd>\u003Cstrong>$25,000 – $75,000\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003C\u002Ftr>\n\u003C\u002Ftbody>\n\u003C\u002Ftable>\n\u003Ch2>How long it takes\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>Plan on \u003Cstrong>5–9 months\u003C\u002Fstrong> from LLC filing to your first cohort. The single biggest variance driver is the Advisory Commission on Proprietary Schools calendar — six meetings a year means a missed submission deadline costs you roughly two months by itself. After the Regents license, LDH NATP review, the nursing home contract negotiation, and your coordinator's train-the-trainer completion set the pace. Operators who prepare both application packages in parallel and time the Regents filing to the next commission meeting hit the short end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2>Common mistakes to avoid\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Skipping the Board of Regents license.\u003C\u002Fstrong> LDH approval alone doesn't make a private school legal to sell tuition in Louisiana — and the commission's six-meetings-a-year calendar punishes late filers.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Writing your own curriculum.\u003C\u002Fstrong> Louisiana requires Hartman 6th ed. or AHCA 8th ed. A homegrown curriculum will bounce your application.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>A handshake clinical agreement.\u003C\u002Fstrong> LDH prescribes specific contract terms and provides no template; missing clauses stall approval.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Counting the 4-hour orientation toward the 80 hours.\u003C\u002Fstrong> It's explicitly excluded — schedule it separately.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>A coordinator without the train-the-trainer box checked\u003C\u002Fstrong> — or one who took a course from a trainer not on LDH's approved list.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Ignoring the free-training rules.\u003C\u002Fstrong> Charging a facility-employed trainee, or failing to tell self-payers about the 12-month reimbursement right, creates complaints you don't want in your survey file.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Ful>\n\u003Ch2>FAQ\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>How much does it cost to start a CNA school in Louisiana?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\nMost single-classroom schools land between $25,000 and $75,000. Louisiana's distinctive costs are the Board of Regents package — about $3,000 in initial fees plus a $10,000 surety bond — and required publisher curriculum materials; LDH itself lists no application fee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Do I need to be a nurse to open a CNA school in Louisiana?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\nNo. The owner needs no license, but your program coordinator must be an RN with two years of nursing experience (including a year caring for the elderly or chronically ill) plus an approved train-the-trainer course or a master's degree, and must be on premises at least half the program's duration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>How many hours is CNA training in Louisiana?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\nA minimum of 80 hours, fixed by rule at 40 classroom and 40 clinical, with at least 16 instructional hours before any resident contact — plus a separate 4-hour clinical-site orientation that doesn't count toward the 80.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Who runs the CNA exam in Louisiana?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\nPrometric administers the competency exam — knowledge (written or oral) plus clinical skills — for $125 combined. Candidates get three attempts per portion before retraining, and passers go on the Louisiana Certified Nurse Aide Registry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Can my school become a CNA test site?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\nYes. Prometric's In-Facility Testing program lets schools and facilities host exams on-site after signing an In-Facility Contract, subject to minimum candidate counts. Testing in the lab where students trained is one of the best pass-rate levers available.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Can CNA classes be online in Louisiana?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\nNot under the current rule. The NATCEP regulation has no distance-learning provision — applications must identify physical classroom locations, and clinicals must happen in a licensed nursing home or hospital SNF unit. Treat theory as in-person unless LDH Health Standards approves otherwise in writing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>How long does approval take in Louisiana?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\nRealistically 5–9 months end to end: the Board of Regents proprietary school license (timed to one of six annual commission meetings) followed by LDH NATP review, with your clinical contract and coordinator credentials usually determining the pace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2>A quick disclaimer\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>This guide is general information, not legal advice. Louisiana's rules (LAC 48:I, Chapter 100; R.S. 17:3140.1 et seq.) and fees change — verify current requirements with the LDH Health Standards Section and the Louisiana Board of Regents Proprietary Schools Section before making commitments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2>The paperwork gets you open. The systems keep you open.\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>Once LDH and the Regents both say yes, the daily work is filling cohorts, tracking every hour against the 40\u002F40 split, and staying ready for unannounced surveys — that's what Transition does for CNA schools every day. See how schools like yours run enrollment, records, messaging, and compliance in one place at \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fjointransition.com\">jointransition.com\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>",true,[9],{"slug":10,"image_url":11,"name":12,"description":13,"active":7,"rate_school_desc":13,"id":14},"louisiana","https:\u002F\u002Ftransition-prod.s3.amazonaws.com\u002Fuploads\u002Fbest_state_schools\u002Fimages\u002F1749700989.580052_la.svg","Louisiana","",33,"https:\u002F\u002Fs3.amazonaws.com\u002Ftransition-prod\u002Fuploads\u002Fbest_state_schools\u002Fblog_images\u002Flouisiana-hero.jpg","Start a CNA school in Louisiana: LDH Health Standards NATP approval, the 80-hour (40\u002F40) curriculum, Board of Regents proprietary school license, Prometric testing, costs, and timelines.",null,"2026-07-27T18:03:01.951676Z","2026-07-28T07:30:18.633304Z","2026-07-27T09:00:00Z","general",36]