Frequently Asked Questions

Application Process

  • All applicants should apply here. Check the FAQ for your region to find detailed steps of the admissions process.

  • Yes. The Propel application will take approximately 15-20 minutes to complete. You can save your work and come back later.

  • Propel America has a rolling admission process that varies by region. We have summer, fall, and winter start dates. All start dates are not offered in all regions so be sure to pay attention to your selection in the application.

  • We still encourage you to apply, as we are committed to providing tuition-free experiences for all fellows.

  • You will need to resubmit an application here.

  • Please contact applications@propelamerica.org and we will be happy to help.

  • You can refer someone here and will receive a $50 gift card when they enroll!

  • If you are still enrolled as a full-time high school student, you can submit an unofficial transcript as a part of your application. Once you have graduated, you will be required to submit a final official transcript.

  • Propel does not run background checks on applicants to participate in the fellowship. However, our employer partners require a background check prior to being hired.

Program Requirements

  • Propel provides a variety of healthcare career fellowship opportunities. In 2024, we will offer pathways to become a medical assistant and sterile processing technician. Programs vary by region, see regional FAQ below for specifics.

  • Currently, we offer programs in the regions listed below. Fellows must live within easy commuting distance of:

    Baton Rouge, Louisiana

    Philadelphia, PA

    Camden, NJ

    Newark, NJ

    South Los Angeles/ Long Beach, California

  • Yes!

    The Propel fellowship is designed to earn you a credential or certificate in a career pathway AND simultaneously provide you with college credits. To do this, we partner with colleges and universities to deliver the technical training portion of our fellowship. The number of credits for each pathway we offer will differ depending on our training partner.

  • Yes! We'll provide you with a laptop if needed, but you'll need to have access to a reliable internet connection.

  • Reach out to applications@propelamerica.org or watch a video of our alum!

  • Propel does not provide in-house supports like housing or childcare. Our staff will attempt to connect fellows to resources for their needs but cannot guarantee supports for all needs a fellow might have.

  • Strong engagement within the Propel program, including attendance at and participation in Propel professional development and 1:1’s, is an early indicator of future success in your job. Propel staff will monitor attendance to ensure you are hire-ready.

  • Propel fellows are paired with Propel Success Coaches and Career Navigators who will be your main point of contact during your fellowship. They will ensure you are professionally prepared and hire-ready.

  • Length varies slightly by pathway. See your regional FAQs for specifics.

Program Details

  • Propel America is a non-profit organization with a mission to serve young adults ages 18-26. We are not an employer and participation in our program is based on a set of criteria including but not limited to age, interest and experience.

  • Yes! You can apply your senior year. Fellows must have their GED or high school diploma and be 18 when your training program begins. You will need to provide your high school transcript as a part of your application. If you are a current student, you can submit an unofficial transcript for the application and send a final transcript after you graduate high school.

  • Propel works with trusted educational institutions to provide a tuition-free experience. The FAFSA is required in some regions. Refer to your regional FAQ below for specifics.

  • This is dependent on your pathway, please see your regional FAQs for more details.

  • Yes. Unless otherwise prohibited by state or local law, most Propel pathways require at least the first dose of the primary series of a COVID-19 vaccination in order to be accepted, with the expectation that all fellows finish subsequent doses of the primary series during their fellowship. For those that do not require vaccination, is is still highly encouraged by our employer partners. All vaccination requirements are subject to change by our employer partners.

  • Propel does not ask for or consider students’ immigration status in our application process.

    We recognize that not all of our employer or training partners are able to offer the same opportunities to students who do not have U.S. citizenship or permanent resident status, are DACA recipients, or have work authorization in the United States.

    At this time Propel cannot sponsor work visas. You must be authorized to work at the time of enrollment in the Propel program.

  • Propel America does accept formerly incarcerated applicants, but we cannot guarantee that you will pass the background check our employer partners conduct before the clinical externship. Prior records will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis with the employer partner.

  • Yes. Applicants can have prior college credits or an associate’s degree. We do not accept bachelor’s degree holders.

Philly & camden

  • We offer the medical assistant pathway in Camden and Philly.

  • Philadelphia has programs starting in April, September, and November 2025. Camden offers a September start only.

  • You will need to complete the following steps when applying to our medical assistant program through National Louis University (NLU):

    1) Apply to Propel

    2) Apply to NLU via the email you receive

    3) Have a short phone call with our admissions team

    4) Interview with our admissions team

    5) Fill out your FAFSA

    6) Submit your proof of 1st dose of COVID vaccination, proof of health insurance, immunization records, & proof of HS graduation or equivalency

  • Yes. The FAFSA is used by the federal government to determine Pell Grant eligibility. Almost all of our fellows qualify for a Pell Grant– which covers the cost of the training program portion of the Propel fellowship. If you already filled it out, make sure you use NLU's school code to have it sent to them: 001733.

    If you have questions about filling out your FAFSA please contact us at applications@propelamerica.org and we’ll provide FAFSA Completion Resources.

  • The application deadlines for 2025 will be posted soon.

  • While we cannot guarantee a job, successful Propel graduates are very strong candidates for hire. Our graduates are hired at these hospital employers:

    - PennMedicine in Philadelphia

    - Cooper University Healthcare in Camden

  • 2025 sessions will begin in April, September, and November.

  • Classes are mostly online, asynchronous classes, meaning you do your work independently without a set class schedule. You will also have online professional development sessions with in-person required skills labs to do hands-on learning.

  • Medical assistants in New Jersey and Pennsylvania make approximately $22/hr, about $45,000/ year.

  • Classes are held asynchronously. That means you log in on your own schedule. There are assignments due every Wednesday & Sunday. As you progress, you will also have in-person skills labs to get hands-on training.

  • The medical assistant program through National Louis University is a total of 8 months, including 6 months of classes and an externship at a healthcare facility prior to being hired.

  • The medical assistant program through NLU awards students 30 credit hours at successful completion of the program.

  • Many successful Propel students work part- or full-time while attending Propel. Doing so requires having good time management and staying on top of your work throughout your course.

  • No. To become a part of the Propel fellowship, you cannot be enrolled in another college institution (community college, technical school, or 4-year university) at the same time. If you are currently taking classes at another institution, you must pause your enrollment to be eligible to participate in the Propel fellowship.

  • Propel accepts fellows between the ages of 18-26.

  • Yes. Applicants can have prior college credits or an associate’s degree. We do not accept bachelor’s degree holders.

NEWARk

  • We offer the medical assistant pathway in Newark.

  • Newark will have an April and September start date in 2025.

  • You will need to complete the following steps when applying to our medical assistant program through our partnership with The College of Healthcare Professions (CHCP):

    1) Apply to Propel

    2) Have a short phone call with our admissions team

    3) Interview with our admissions team

    4) Fill out your FAFSA

    5) Submit your proof of HS graduation or equivalency

    6) Complete a phone call with CHCP to complete their application and enrollment process

    "

  • Yes. The FAFSA is used by the federal government to determine Pell Grant eligibility. Almost all of our fellows qualify for a Pell Grant– which covers the cost of the training program portion of the Propel fellowship. If you already filled it out, make sure you use NLU's school code to have it sent to them: 001733.

    If you have questions about filling out your FAFSA please contact us at applications@propelamerica.org and we’ll provide FAFSA Completion Resources.

  • 2025 application deadlines coming soon.

  • While we cannot guarantee a job, successful Propel graduates are very strong candidates for hire. Our graduates are hired at these hospital employers:

    - PennMedicine in Philadelphia

    - Cooper University Healthcare in Camden

    - RWJ Barnabas Health in Newark

  • 2025 sessions will begin in April and September.

  • Classes are a mix of online, asynchronous (on your own) classes and professional development sessions, with in-person required skills labs to do hands-on learning.

  • Medical assistants in New Jersey and Pennsylvania make approximately $22/hr, about $45,000/ year.

  • Classes are held asynchronously. That means you log in on your own schedule. There are assignments due every Wednesday & Sunday. As you progress, you will also have in-person skills labs to get hands-on training.

  • The medical assistant program through College of Healthcare Professionals is a total of 12 months, including 11 months of classes and an externship at a healthcare facility prior to being hired.

  • The medical assistant program through NLU awards students 30 credit hours at successful completion of the program.

  • Many successful Propel students work part- or full-time while attending Propel. Doing so requires having good time management and staying on top of your work throughout your course.

  • No. To become a part of the Propel fellowship, you cannot be enrolled in another college institution (community college, technical school, or 4-year university) at the same time. If you are currently taking classes at another institution, you must pause your enrollment to be eligible to participate in the Propel fellowship.

  • Propel accepts fellows between the ages of 18-26.

  • Yes. Applicants can have prior college credits or an associate’s degree. We do not accept bachelor’s degree holders.

Los Angeles & Long Beach

  • We offer the medical assistant pathway in Long Beach & Los Angeles.

  • 2025 medical assistant classes will begin in April and September.

  • You will need to complete the following steps when applying to our medical assistant program.

    1) Apply to Propel

    2) Have a short phone call with our admissions team

    3) Interview with our admissions team

  • No! Los Angeles applicants do not need to fill out their FAFSA.

  • 2025 deadlines coming soon.

  • While we cannot guarantee a job, successful Propel graduates are very strong candidates for hire. Our graduates are hired at these hospital employers:

    -PennMedicine in Philadelphia

    - Cooper University Healthcare in Camden

    -Announcement coming soon for LAX

  • Fall session will begin after Labor Day 2024.

  • Classes are a mix of asynchronous classes (meaning you log in on your own schedule) and online professional development sessions, with in-person required clinical hours.

  • Your medical assistant coursework can be done entirely on your own schedule. You will need to attend online professional development sessions and in-person labs.

  • Medical assistants in Los Angeles average $22/hr, full time with benefits.

  • Our LAX medical assistant pathway is about 7 months- 6 months of classes plus a one month externship at our employer partner hospital.

  • Students in the Long Beach program will earn a certificate through Long Beach City College.

  • Many successful Propel students work part- or full-time while attending Propel. Doing so requires having good time management and staying on top of your work throughout your course.

  • To become a part of the Propel fellowship, you can not be enrolled in another college institution (community college, technical school, or 4-year university) at the same time. If you are currently taking classes at another institution, you must pause your enrollment to be eligible to participate in the Propel fellowship.

  • Propel accepts fellows between the ages of 18-26.

Baton Rouge

  • We offer medical assisting during the summer and fall session, and sterile processing technician during the fall session.

  • You will need to complete the following steps when applying to our medical assistant program through our partnership with The College of Healthcare Professions (CHCP):

    1) Apply to Propel

    2) Have a short phone call with our admissions team

    3) Interview with our admissions team

    4) Fill out your FAFSA

    5) Submit your proof of 1st dose of COVID vaccination & proof of HS graduation or equivalency

    6) Complete a phone call with CHCP to complete their application and enrollment process

    "

  • For the sterile processing technician program through Baton Rouge Community College (BRCC), you will need to complete the following:

    1) Apply to Propel

    2) Have a short phone call with our admissions team

    3) Interview with our admissions team

    4) Apply to BRCC & fill out your FAFSA

    5) Complete the Sterile Processing Basics Course Request form through BRCC

    6) Complete the enrollment paperwork, including background check & drug test, through BRCC

  • Yes. The FAFSA is used by the federal government to determine Pell Grant eligibility. Almost all of our fellows qualify for a Pell Grant– which covers the cost of the training program portion of the Propel fellowship.

    If you have questions about filling out your FAFSA please contact us at applications@propelamerica.org and we’ll provide FAFSA Completion Resources.

  • 2025 application deadlines coming soon.

  • Propel connects students to interviews at Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System. While we cannot guarantee a job, successful Propel graduates are very strong candidates for hire.

  • Summer session will begin 6/28/23 with an in-person orientation. Fall session will begin just after Labor Day, exact date TBD.

  • Classes are a mix of online classes and professional development sessions, with in-person required skills labs. Medical assisting classwork is done asynchronously with deadlines, meaning you can go through the material on your own schedule but will have to submit assignments on time.

  • Certified medical assistants in Baton Rouge make approximately $15.75/hour, and sterile processing technicians make approximately $14.75/hour. Increased hourly wage can be made during certain shifts (ex. nights).

  • For the Baton Rouge medical assistant certification, classes are held asynchronously. That means you log in on your own schedule. There are assignments due every Wednesday & Sunday. For the sterile processing tech program, in person classes are held twice a week for approximately 4 hours each day. Classes are either Monday / Wednesday or Tuesday / Thursday, based on your schedule.

  • The medical assistant program through The College of Health Care Professions (CHCP) is a total of 10 months, eight months of classes and two months of clinical externship. The sterile processing technician program at Baton Rouge Community College (BRCC) is 1 semester, or approximately four months.

  • CHCP’s medical assistant program awards students 33 credit hours at successful completion of the program. However, these credits do not transfer to colleges in Louisiana but students can continue to other degrees at CHCP. Our sterile processing technician program awards students 6 credit hours at successful completion of the program. These credits will transfer to other schools in Louisiana.

  • Many successful Propel students work part- or full-time while attending Propel. Doing so requires having good time management and staying on top of your work throughout your course.

  • To become a part of the Propel fellowship, you can not be enrolled in another college institution (community college, technical school, or 4-year university) at the same time. If you are currently taking classes at another institution, you must pause your enrollment to be eligible to participate in the Propel fellowship.

  • Propel accepts fellows between the ages of 18-26.