Your Guide to Becoming a CNA in Conway, South Carolina

Certified nursing assistants in the Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach metro area earn a median annual wage of $34,640, with demand projected to climb 1.7% this year. The region's expanding retiree population and new healthcare construction keep hiring brisk across hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, and home health agencies.

We've mapped local in-person and online-compatible training options, compared costs, and ranked state-approved programs by affordability so you can find a schedule and price that fit. Employers routinely hire graduates before they even sit for the state exam.

Conway's Healthcare Landscape: Employers and CNA Demand

Conway sits at the heart of one of South Carolina's fastest-growing healthcare corridors. A large and expanding retiree population along the Grand Strand drives steady demand for certified nursing assistants in hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, assisted living communities, and home health agencies. If you earn your CNA credential here, you can expect frequent job openings and a short path from training to landing your first CNA job.

Major Employers to Know

Several healthcare systems anchor the Conway and Myrtle Beach area, and all of them regularly hire CNAs:

• Conway Medical Center: A community hospital in the heart of Conway offering acute care, surgical services, and outpatient clinics.
• Grand Strand Medical Center: A large hospital in Myrtle Beach with specialty units in cardiac care, orthopedics, and emergency medicine.
• Tidelands Health: A regional network with facilities across Georgetown, Murrells Inlet, and the surrounding Lowcountry. Tidelands operates hospitals, outpatient centers, and physician practices.
• Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital: Located in the Myrtle Beach area, this facility focuses on inpatient rehabilitation, where CNAs play a central role in patient recovery and mobility support.

Beyond these anchor employers, dozens of long-term care facilities, memory care communities, and home health agencies throughout Horry and Georgetown counties hire CNAs year-round.

What CNAs Do in South Carolina

South Carolina's scope of practice for nursing assistants centers on direct patient care under the supervision of a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse. Day-to-day responsibilities typically include assisting patients with activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing, and eating; measuring and recording vital signs like blood pressure, pulse, and temperature; and providing emotional support to patients and their families. CNAs serve as the eyes and ears of the nursing team, reporting changes in a patient's condition so that clinical staff can respond quickly.

Nearby Cities and Commuting Options

Conway residents commonly commute to neighboring communities for both CNA training and employment. Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, and Surfside Beach are all within a short drive along Highway 501 or Highway 17. Georgetown, roughly 35 miles south, and Loris, about 25 miles north, also offer healthcare job opportunities. This geographic flexibility means that completing your CNA classes in South Carolina in or near Conway opens doors across a broad regional job market.

Online and Hybrid CNA Programs for South Carolina Residents

Can you actually become a CNA online in South Carolina? Partly, yes. The state allows the classroom portion of CNA training to be delivered online, but the hands-on clinical hours must be completed in person at an approved healthcare facility. For Conway students juggling work, kids, or a long commute, this hybrid setup can make training far more manageable than a traditional five-day-a-week classroom schedule.

How the Hybrid Model Works in South Carolina

South Carolina's Department of Health and Human Services requires every state-approved CNA program to cover a minimum of 100 total training hours, including at least 40 hours of supervised clinical practice. The didactic portion (lectures, reading, quizzes, video demonstrations of skills) can be completed online, often on your own schedule. Clinicals, however, cannot be simulated on a laptop. You will need to report in person to a partnering nursing home, hospital, or long-term care facility to practice skills like taking vital signs, assisting with mobility, and providing personal care under a registered nurse's supervision.

What to Look For in a Hybrid Program

Before enrolling, confirm three things:

• State approval: The program must be on South Carolina's approved CNA training list so your hours count toward the state exam.
• Local clinical placement: Ask whether the program arranges clinicals near Conway or expects you to find your own site.
• Total time commitment: Even self-paced online coursework has deadlines, and clinical rotations typically run one to three weeks of consecutive days.

Several state-approved providers enroll South Carolina students through hybrid formats. You will find specific programs, tuition, and clinical arrangements compared in the ranked list later in this guide, including options for CNA classes in Charleston, SC.

CNA Training Programs in and Around Conway, SC

A state-approved CNA program meets South Carolina's minimum training requirements (classroom instruction plus supervised clinical hours) and qualifies you to take the South Carolina Nurse Aide Registry exam. Conway's location gives you options inside city limits, plus several strong programs within a 30- to 45-minute drive in Myrtle Beach, Murrells Inlet, and Georgetown. Here's a look at what's currently available.

Programs Inside Conway City Limits

• Horry-Georgetown Technical College, Conway Campus: 2050 Hwy 501 East, Conway, SC 29526. Phone: 843-347-3186. This is the region's public community college option and prepares students for the South Carolina Nurse Aide Registry exam.
• Academy for Technology and Academics (ATA): 5639 Highway 701 North, Conway, SC 29526. Phone: 843-488-6600. ATA is a public career and technology high school, so this pathway is geared toward high school students in the Horry County school system.
• Professional Medical Training Center: 1610 North Church Street, Conway, SC 29526. Phone: 843-678-9135. A private vocational school offering CNA training outside the community college calendar.
• Conway Manor Nurse Aide Training Course: 3300 4th Ave., Conway, SC 29526. This is a facility-based program run out of a long-term care center, which typically means training happens where you may also work after certification.

Programs Within a Short Commute

• Horry-Georgetown Technical College, Myrtle Beach Campus: 743 Hemlock Ave., Myrtle Beach, SC 29577. Phone: 843-477-2092. Same college system, different campus, useful if the Myrtle Beach location fits your commute better.
• Horry-Georgetown Technical College, Georgetown Center: 4003 South Fraser St., Georgetown, SC 29440. Phone: 843-546-8406. About 35 minutes south of Conway.
• NHC Garden City: 9405 Highway 17 Bypass, Murrells Inlet, SC 29576. Phone: 843-650-2213. A facility-based nursing home program, typical of NHC locations that train and hire from the same pool.

Facility-Based and Employer-Connected Training

The two facility-based options above, Conway Manor and NHC Garden City, deserve a second look if cost is a major factor. Long-term care facilities in South Carolina sometimes offer reduced-cost or reimbursed training in exchange for a work commitment after certification. Call each facility directly and ask whether they're currently accepting nurse aide trainees and what the tuition arrangement looks like, since these programs run on their own schedules rather than a fixed academic calendar.

Comparing Conway-Area CNA Programs: Cost, Duration, and Outcomes

CNA training in Conway includes both in-person intensive programs and extended-schedule options, giving students flexibility in pace and commitment. Understanding the differences in tuition, timeline, and scheduling can help you match a program to your budget and availability.

Program Cost and What's Included

Professional Medical Training Center (PMTC) in Conway lists a total program cost of $785, positioning it as an affordable option for local students. This figure typically covers tuition, instructional materials, and clinical placement coordination. However, prospective students should confirm whether books, uniforms, background checks, and the state competency exam fee are bundled or billed separately. Many Conway-area programs itemize these add-ons, which can push the out-of-pocket total by $150 to $300. Always ask for a comprehensive cost breakdown before enrolling to avoid surprises.

Duration and Schedule Flexibility

PMTC Conway completes its curriculum in seven weeks, a brisk timeline that appeals to students eager to enter the workforce quickly. The program offers both day and evening sections¹, accommodating working adults and full-time students alike. Day tracks often run Monday through Friday mornings, while evening cohorts meet late afternoon and into early evening, preserving daytime hours for employment or caregiving responsibilities.

Other programs in the Myrtle Beach and Georgetown corridor may extend to ten or twelve weeks, spreading classroom and clinical hours over a longer calendar period to reduce weekly time commitments. Prospective students balancing family or work obligations should weigh whether a condensed schedule or a longer, lighter-load format better fits their circumstances.

Clinical Hours and Pass Rates

South Carolina requires a minimum of 100 hours of supervised clinical practice, and most Conway-area programs meet or slightly exceed this threshold. Clinical rotations typically occur in partnering nursing homes, assisted living facilities, or hospital long-term-care units within Horry and Georgetown counties. Some programs publish their state exam pass rates and job-placement percentages on their websites or during information sessions. If these metrics are not readily available, ask admissions staff directly. A program with a pass rate consistently above 80 percent and documented employer partnerships signals strong instructional quality and graduate support.

Comparing cost, schedule, and outcomes helps you find the Conway-area CNA program that fits your budget, schedule, and career goals.

Questions to Ask Yourself

Financial Aid, Scholarships, and Payment Plans for CNA Training

How do you pay for CNA training in Conway when the program is too short to qualify for most federal student aid? The good news: several state and local funding streams are specifically designed to cover short-term healthcare certificates, and out-of-pocket costs can often drop to zero for eligible residents.

Why Federal Pell Grants Usually Don't Apply

The Federal Pell Grant awards up to $7,395 per year¹ to undergraduates who file the FAFSA, but it generally requires enrollment in a degree or longer certificate program. HGTC’s Nursing Assistant program runs only 9 credits with a total cost around $2,095, which falls below the clock-hour threshold Pell uses. In practice, most Conway CNA students will not see Pell dollars applied to their tuition. That makes state workforce funding and employer programs the more realistic route.

South Carolina Workforce Funding: WIOA and SC WINS

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) is the single most useful program for Conway CNA students. If you are at least 18, meet income guidelines (typically within 200% of the federal poverty line), and are considered underemployed or unemployed, WIOA can cover 100% of tuition, books, and testing fees.² Applications go through the SC Works center serving Horry County.

SC WINS (Workforce Industry Needs Scholarship) supplements Pell and the LIFE Scholarship for students in high-demand fields at technical colleges, and nursing assistant training qualifies at HGTC for students enrolled in a broader credential pathway.

Employer-Sponsored Training and Local Scholarships

Several Horry County employers will pay for your CNA training upfront in exchange for a work commitment, usually 6 to 12 months on staff after certification. Conway Medical Center’s professional development pathways include foundation scholarships worth several thousand dollars to healthcare students. Smaller sources include the CNAFreeTraining.com scholarship at $500. HGTC also offers institutional payment plans that split the $2,095 tuition into monthly installments.

Realistic Out-of-Pocket Picture

With WIOA or a hospital sponsorship, expect to pay $0 to $150 (uniforms, background check). Paying cash at HGTC, budget roughly $2,100 to $2,400 all in. Call HGTC's program office at 843-347-3186 to confirm current aid options before enrolling.

CNA Salary and Job Outlook in the Myrtle Beach Metro Area

In the Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach metro area, nursing assistants earn a median annual wage of $34,640, with the middle 50% earning between $33,980 and $36,250. While the area employs 770 nursing assistants, surrounding metros like Columbia and Greenville report higher median wages, though Charleston offers the region's top earnings at a median of $38,720.

Certified Nursing Assistants in the Myrtle Beach metro area earn wages that reflect strong regional demand, with median pay in the region tracking above the South Carolina statewide median.

Steps to Earn Your South Carolina CNA License

Some states permit reciprocity endorsement for CNAs trained elsewhere, while South Carolina requires anyone looking to become a CNA in the state to follow a clear, sequential pathway. If you plan to train in Conway and work in South Carolina, expect four key milestones between enrollment and your first paycheck.

1. Complete a State-Approved 100-Hour Training Program

South Carolina law mandates at least 100 hours of instruction: typically 60 hours of classroom theory and 40 hours of supervised clinical practice. Your program must appear on the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) list of approved nurse aide training providers. Once you finish, the school will issue a completion certificate that makes you eligible to sit for the state exam.

2. Pass the South Carolina Nurse Aide Competency Exam

The CNA exam has two parts: a written (or oral) knowledge test and a hands-on skills demonstration. Pearson VUE administers both components at testing centers across South Carolina, including locations near Myrtle Beach. You must pass both sections within two years of completing your training. Total exam and registry fees typically run around $100 to $150; many Conway-area programs include the exam fee in tuition, so ask your admissions office for the exact breakdown.

3. Submit to Background Checks

South Carolina requires a state and federal criminal background check with fingerprinting before adding your name to the registry. Most programs coordinate fingerprinting during the final weeks of class or provide instructions for scheduling an appointment at an authorized site.

4. Join the SC Nurse Aide Registry

Once you pass both exam sections and clear your background check, DHEC adds your name to the South Carolina Nurse Aide Registry. This public listing confirms your legal authority to work as a CNA in the state. You must renew your registry listing every two years and maintain active employment (or complete continuing education if you take a break). No re-examination is required as long as you stay current.

Top CNA Programs for South Carolina Students: Ranked by Affordability

Below are the top CNA programs for South Carolina students, ranked by net price and overall value. All programs are state-approved and designed to prepare you for the South Carolina Nurse Aide Registry exam. Whether you're in Conway seeking a local option or considering schools across the state, this list highlights the most affordable and high-quality paths to CNA certification.

CNA Program Admission Requirements at a Glance

Before you enroll, make sure you meet the basic admission criteria. Here’s a quick reference to get you started.

• Check state requirements

  Visit the South Carolina Board of Nursing or Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) website for official certification rules, including age minimums, background screenings, and TB testing guidelines.
• Review program-specific prerequisites

  Browse the websites of local providers like Horry-Georgetown Technical College, Coastal Carolina University, and Myrtle Beach area training centers for details on immunization records, CPR certification, and other documentation.
• Contact admissions offices

  Call or email each school directly, requirements can change. Also reach out to professional associations such as the South Carolina Health Care Association for additional guidance.
• Understand career outlook

  Use the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS.gov) to explore general CNA job trends, but rely on local school sites and state boards for the most up-to-date admission specifics.

Frequently Asked Questions About CNA Classes in Conway

Below you'll find quick answers to common questions about CNA classes and certification in Conway, South Carolina. These insights will help you choose a program and plan your healthcare career path with confidence.

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