Application Frequently Asked Questions

Propel provides healthcare career fellowship opportunities. We currently offer pathways to become a medical assistant in all locations, a sterile processing technician in Baton Rouge, LA and the capital region parishes, and registered behavior technician in Camden, NJ.

Currently, we offer programs in the locations listed below.

Louisiana

Baton Rouge

Capital Region Parishes

New Jersey

Camden

Newark

Pennsylvania

Philadelphia

To be eligible, you must live in one of the locations where the Fellowship is offered. You must have a GED or High School diploma by the time the fellowship starts. Fellows must be at least 18-years-old by the time the fellowship starts and must not be older than 24-years-old at the time of application. You must not be enrolled in another two or four-year college or university.

Submit an application here.

Yes! Fellows must have their GED or high school diploma when Propel’s training partner 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 fellowship experience. All fellows are required to complete the FAFSA and we provide financial aid support to help throughout the process. Most of our fellows qualify for Federal Pell Grants which will cover the cost of the fellowship. Propel will offset any tuition expenses not covered by Federal Pell Grants. Propel fellows also receive a $500 stipend over the course of the program to cover unforeseen program expenses.

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 America has a rolling admissions process which means that we have multiple start dates available to incoming Fellows. We have program start dates in the Summer, Fall, and Winter. Be aware that all locations/programs do not offer start dates for each term.

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.

Propel works with employer partners to provide externships to fellows after they complete their coursework.

We guarantee an interview for full-time employment to all fellows. While this does not mean each fellow will be offered full-time employment, we are confident that the training and coaching received during the fellowship will set fellows up for success in landing a role in their career field.

Yes! Propel America does accept formerly incarcerated fellows. Employment requires a background check that is conducted by each individual employer. Results may vary depending on the employer partner and the formerly incarcerated fellow’s record.

Provided that you complete the expectations of the program successfully, you are guaranteed an interview with an employer!

Some of the expectations for our Fellows are:

-Fellows are not enrolled in another college or university during their participation in the fellowship

-Attend all of your class (you can learn more about the specific class schedule during your interview as they vary between fellowships)

-Fully participate in the 90 minute weekly professional development meetings online on zoom

-Meet with your coach regularly

-Arrange transportation for yourself to attend skills labs and/or classes that happen in person

-Study and complete assignments for approximately 25 hours/week

*Expectations may vary by fellowship

No.

As a Medical Assistant and a Registered Behavior Technician Fellow all of your classes will take place online.

As a Sterile Processing Technician Fellow your classes will take place in person on the Baton Rouge Community College Campus.

The Professional Development meetings will happen on Zoom and Coaching 1:1 meetings will happen online or via phone

Although your classes may be online, all of your internship experiences and skills labs will happen in person.

Propel America is an organization that helps young adults move directly into a thriving-wage healthcare career by providing

1:1 Coaching throughout your participation in the fellowship and 6 months after completion.

Professional Development

$500 Stipend

Tuition-free Training

Job Search Support

We have a multi-step application process. First you will fill out the Propel America application, which will take approximately 15-20 minutes to complete. If you do not have enough time to complete it in one sitting, you can save your progress and finish the application when it is convenient for you.

Once you submit your application you will receive an email that will direct you to the training partner application and the FAFSA. You will need to complete these components before you can receive an acceptance to the Propel America Fellowship.

Typically, the training partner application includes submitting an online form, uploading a resume, and sending an official high school transcript. Whether you have immediate access to these materials will determine the length of time required to complete the educational training partner application.

If you need any support throughout the application process we are here for you! Please contact us at applications@propelamerica.org

After your Propel America application is reviewed for program eligibility you will receive an invitation to a virtual interview!

Yes, all Propel pathway programs require applicants to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). 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 already filled out the FAFSA please go back and add the school code of our training partner so that they can receive your FAFSA.

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

If you are unable to complete the FAFSA for any reason please contact your Director of Recruitment directly or email us at applications@propelamerica.org

If you previously applied to Propel America and would like to reapply for a different start term please email your Director of Recruitment directly or applications@propelamerica.org.

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 your official transcript to our training partner.

Propel does not run background checks on applicants to participate in the fellowship. However, many of our training and employer partners require a background check.

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.

Propel is not able to guarantee the opportunity to interview for a job to students who do not have work authorization in the U.S. Hiring requirements and sponsorship opportunities vary by employer.

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