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Optician training in Tennessee

3 optician and eye care programs with costs, results and funding that can make them free

3 schools offer these eye care programs, and Tennessee has approved every one for workforce funding. Each shows its price if you pay yourself and how past students did.

Opticians fit customers for eyeglasses and contact lenses and help them choose frames and lenses. Most need a high school diploma and learn on the job, while some start with an associate degree or certificate in ophthalmic dispensing. Some states require a license, which usually takes an approved program or an apprenticeship and passed exams, and employers may want certification in eyeglass and contact lens dispensing.1

In Tennessee, all 3 programs ask for a high school diploma or equivalent.

By kind, the 3 programs here are ophthalmic technician (associate degree, 1 program), optician (associate degree, 1 program) and optician certification exam prep (1 program).

See the 3 programs

How much does optician training cost in Tennessee?

Two-year degrees (2 programs)
$13,390 to $19,065all 2 with a price
Other eye care programs (1 program)
$1,995the one with a price

What you pay yourself for the whole program, as the schools report it.

In the typical program

Finished the program
Not enough data
2 programs report it; a typical figure needs 5
Working 6 months later
Not enough data
2 programs report it; a typical figure needs 5
Earned a year, estimated
Not enough data
2 programs report it; a typical figure needs 5
Length
Not enough data
3 programs report it; a typical figure needs 5

Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Only programs approved for workforce funding are listed; other schools in Tennessee may also offer optician training. How these figures are made

Is there free optician training in Tennessee?

Who qualifies, and other ways to pay: financial aid, grants and the GI Bill

All 3 optician and eye care programs in Tennessee approved for WIOA funding

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What you need to enroll
Kind of program
School
How it's taught
How to show the list

3 programs

  • Ophthalmic technician (associate degree)HybridHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Ophthalmic Technician

    Volunteer State Community College

    Gallatin

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Volunteer State Community College, GallatinOphthalmic technician (associate degree) · Accredited schoolHybrid · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimated$42,500
    Price if you pay yourself$13,390
    Program website, Ophthalmic Technician at Volunteer State Community College
    More details about Ophthalmic Technician at Volunteer State Community College
    Finished
    79%
    Working at 6 months
    86%
    Earned in a quarter
    $10,613
    Length
    75 weeks, 15 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $3,000
    Students counted
    39
    Earned a year, estimated
    $42,500
    Price if you pay yourself
    $13,390
    Program website, Ophthalmic Technician at Volunteer State Community College

  • Optician (associate degree)In personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Vision Care Technology

    Roane State Community College

    Harriman

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Roane State Community College, HarrimanOptician (associate degree) · Accredited schoolIn person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimated$40,100
    Price if you pay yourself$19,065

    4 students trained with WIOA funding

    Program website, Vision Care Technology at Roane State Community College
    More details about Vision Care Technology at Roane State Community College
    Finished
    70%
    Working at 6 months
    95%
    Earned in a quarter
    $10,034
    Length
    60 weeks, 40 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $1,194
    Students counted
    35
    Earned a year, estimated
    $40,100
    Price if you pay yourself
    $19,065
    students trained with WIOA funding
    4
    Program website, Vision Care Technology at Roane State Community College

  • Optician certification exam prepOnlineHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Optician Certification Training Course

    Tennessee State University

    Based in Nashville, TN

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Tennessee State University, based in Nashville, TNOptician certification exam prep · Accredited schoolOnline · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$1,995
    Program website, Optician Certification Training Course at Tennessee State University
    More details about Optician Certification Training Course at Tennessee State University
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    26 weeks, 6 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    None listed
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $1,995
    Program website, Optician Certification Training Course at Tennessee State University

How to pay for optician training in Tennessee

WIOA funding can pay for optician training in Tennessee

Every program on this page is approved for it. Whether you qualify, how much your local area pays and how to apply are on our page Does WIOA pay for job training?

Financial aid and grants for optician training

Most students can get federal student aid for college, career school or trade school. A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, usually doesn't have to be repaid. Ask the school whether its program qualifies.67

GI Bill for optician training

Veterans, service members and qualified dependents can use GI Bill benefits for non-college training programs.8

The program list does not show which programs accept these. Ask the school.

Optician training in Nashville, Knoxville and other Tennessee cities

Choosing an area filters the program list above. 1 program is online.

Other training in Tennessee

How optician training compares with the rest of allied health: Allied health programs in Tennessee

Where the Tennessee eye care program numbers come from

Which Tennessee eye care programs are on this list?

These are the eye care programs Tennessee approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), as reported to the US Department of Labor for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).9 The list here covers programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Schools that never applied for approval are missing, so this is a part of what Tennessee offers.

How the prices and results of Tennessee eye care programs are measured

Prices are tuition and required fees for someone paying without workforce funding, as the school reported them; check the current price with the school. Results describe students who left each program in recent years, so they are no guarantee, and the yearly earnings are the reported quarter times four, an estimate. A program without a "Trained with WIOA funding" line may still take WIOA students. Where a field was left empty or withheld, the page says "Not reported", and "Left out" where a figure was filed but failed one of our checks; nothing is estimated to fill a gap. Where the numbers come from explains each figure in full.

Sources for the facts about optician training in Tennessee

Show the 9 sourcesHide the sources
  1. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Opticians
  2. US Department of Labor, TrainingProviderResults.gov: About This Site
  3. US Department of Labor: WIOA Adult Program
  4. Code of Federal Regulations, title 20, part 680, sections 680.220, 680.230 and 680.310: career services before training, other grants such as Pell Grants first, and limits on Individual Training Accounts (GovInfo, 2024 edition)
  5. US Department of Labor: American Job Centers
  6. US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Eligibility for Federal Student Aid
  7. US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Don't Miss Out on Federal Pell Grants
  8. US Department of Veterans Affairs: GI Bill benefits for non-college degree programs
  9. US Department of Labor, Training and Employment Guidance Letter 8-19, Attachment I: Requirements for Training Providers, Program Eligibility, and the State Eligible Training Provider (ETP) List