YOUR PATHWAY TO NURSING

Become a nurse, without the debt.

Start as a Community Health Worker, get hired by a health system in months, and use your benefits to pay for nursing school while you work.

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Nursing school doesn't have to start with a mountain of debt. By becoming a certified Community Health Worker first, you can get hired into a health system in months, start earning immediately, and access employer tuition benefits worth up to $7,000/year toward your nursing degree.

Not sure what a CHW is? Keep reading, and we'll walk you through it.

THE OBSTACLE

Don’t let debt stop you from your calling.

A nursing degree can cost tens of thousands of dollars, and that's before you've earned a single paycheck in the field.

For career changers, parents, and anyone without a safety net, that cost is often the difference between pursuing the career you want and staying where you are. But there's a route into nursing most people never hear about – one that provides paid clinical experience while your employer subsidizes your tuition.

THE ROLE YOU HAVEN'T HEARD OF (YET)

What is a Community Health Worker?

Community Health Workers (CHWs) are frontline healthcare workers who help patients navigate the health and social service systems they depend on.

They work inside hospitals, clinics, health systems, and a host of other settings. By becoming a CHW, you can by employed inside the exact organizations that offer the tuition benefits you will need for nursing school.

Learn more about the CHW role

A 4-year, debt-free path
to becoming an RN.

Here’s how it works:

1

Months 1–3: Get certified

Complete your CHW certification through PEC, 100% online, in as little as 12 weeks.

2

Months 4–6: Get hired

Land a role as a CHW, Patient Navigator, or Care Coordinator at a hospital, clinic, or health system.

3

Years 1–2: Work and study, debt-free

Work full time (earning $24–$32/hr) while your employer's tuition benefits cover your nursing prerequisites at a local community college.

4

Years 3–4: Enter your nursing program

Your employer's tuition benefits continue covering your ADN program, typically $3,000 to $6,000 total.

5

Year 4: Graduate as an RN

Walk away with 2+ years of real patient-facing experience, zero student debt, and a starting salary of $90,000–$100,000+ with benefits.

In less than six months, you could be employed full-time with benefits, while stepping onto a 4 year pathway to a nursing degree with zero debt.

It's more than just nursing.

Whether you're drawn to nursing, public health, behavioral health, or an allied health role, health systems prefer to train and promote from within. Once you're a CHW, the same pathway can carry you into dozens of other careers.

Respiratory Therapist

Registered Nurse

$100k/year

$105k/year

Case Manager

Social Worker

$75k/year

$85k/year

Radiology Tech

PT Assistant

$90k/year

$95k/year

THE PROOF

Major employers are willing to reimburse your tuition costs.

Southern California's health workforce shortage means employers are eager to grow their own talent. Several major regional employers are known for offering exactly this kind of tuition support, including*: