Pipeline for the Advancement of the Healthcare Workforce (PATH)

PATH logoGet started on or advance your career in health care for free! The Illinois Community College Board awarded Oakton with the Pipeline for the Advancement of the Healthcare Workforce grant (PATH) to expand opportunities for students to enter and/or advance their careers in the healthcare industry. Oakton health career students are encouraged to apply to receive assistance with unmet needs on a first-come, first-served basis until funds are exhausted.

What PATH Provides

Eligible students who are enrolled in one of summer 2023 health career programs receive academic support, coaching, and compensation to help cover some basic costs including:

  • Free tuition and fees
  • Books and materials
  • Transportation stipend
  • Food stipend
  • Housing stipend
  • Child Care/Dependent care assistance
  • Loanable laptop and Wi-Fi hotspots (if funding available)
  • Tutoring
  • Essential and employability skills training

Eligible Health Career Programs

The Pharmacy Technician certificate prepares students with the fundamentals and practical experience to sit for the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board Exam (PTCBE). It is designed for anyone interested in becoming a pharmacy technician or for those who are on a pre-pharmacy track.

Explore the Program

The Basic Nursing Assistant Training Certificate prepares students to become certified nursing assistants (CNAs) in as little as one semester. It equips students to work in a variety of healthcare settings such as hospitals, nursing care facilities or patient's homes.

Explore the Program

The Perioperative Nursing Certificate is a one-course certificate that supplements a 2-year nursing program (with clinical experience). Its curriculum offers information on how to create a safe, patient-centered environment in an operating room.  

Explore the Program

The Emergency Medical Technician Paramedic Certificate is a set of 4 courses that prepare students with successive information on emergency response and medical aid. Each course allows students to gain career entry and advancement in the emergency medical system field. 

Explore the Program

Are You Eligible?

Oakton College received the Illinois Pipeline for the Advancement of the Healthcare Workforce (PATH) grant to support students who are pursuing select health career pathways. The project focuses on three populations:

  • Incumbent workers who are already in the workforce and looking to continue their education and advance their careers in the nursing or healthcare pathway in Illinois.
  • New, entering students on a nursing or healthcare pathway with an identified need for support.
  • Low-income, first-generation, and minority students as a subset of both of the aforementioned target population categories.


You can use our PATH Eligibility Survey to determine if you meet the minimum eligibility to receive support from the PATH grant.

Take Our PATH Eligibility Survey

Do You Have Questions?

If you want more information or have questions, please use the form below and someone will be in touch.