Getting and continuing your education and training will be critical for your entry and advancement in a a career field. You can choose many different paths to continue and advance your education. One path is to earn a degree, certificate, or diploma from a four or two-year college, career college or technical school. In these programs you can gain education and train for a specific career, trade, or profession. Whether you want to work in professionals careers such as law, medicine, business, finance, national security, policy, international affairs, or you decide upon a variety of technical positions, including automotive technician, computer technician, hairstylist, medical assistant, and truck driver there are educational programs for you. With so many schools to choose from, it's important that you know the kinds of questions to ask before making a decision and enrolling. One key issue is whether the school is accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education or licensed by the state in which it is located.

Questions to Ask Before Enrolling

Finding Schools That Match Your Interests and Goals

Choosing a School

Special Considerations

Remember, a good education is the foundation for getting a good job and having a successful career!

Finding Schools That Match Your Interests and Goals

What education and/or training do you need?
Think carefully about what you want to do with your life and with your career. Self-assessing and determining what career field you would like pursue is the first step in figuring out what school you should attend and degree, certificate or diploma you need to succeed. Find out as much as you can about the occupations that interest you by using the Internet, libraries, or by talking to a career or guidance counselor or a representative at your Career Center. With so many educational options, you'll want to find the program that best matches your natural skills, abilities, and interests in order to prepare for a successful career in the field of your choice.

As you are getting started take time to assess your skills, interests, strengths, weaknesses, interests, passions and loves. Match your characteristics and interests with various careers that you can explore to find the right fit for you. Explore career options and careers with the fastest growth rate. Use the Occupational Outlook Handbook to look at the education and training needed, earnings, and expected job prospects in a wide range of occupations. Other federal government sites like Career Voyages and Career Infonet allow you to explore various career options and look at information on career options, occupational licensing requirements, and wage trends. As you gather information determine your educational and training needs and begin selecting schools from there.

What preparation do you need for a particular career field or job?
Do you need to complete a specific degree, certificate, or training to get a job in the field you are interested in? Do you need to get a license or certificate in order to work in your field of choice? Do you need to get additional graduate/professional education or certificates to advance in your career field or make a transition to a new field?

To get the answers to these questions, check with your guidance or career counselor, talk to people already working in the field, read and evaluate occupational information and job descriptions, and check with national or state professional licensure agencies or certification organizations. Find out what degree, special license or certification is needed to get a job in the field of your choice. If you need a certificate or license, ask any school you are considering if its graduates are eligible for licensure or certification after they complete its program.

When checking into programs it is good to ask the school for the number of students who take and pass their licensing exams. Also, ask the school do they have a career center or job placement program and what percentage of its graduates find jobs in their field.

Which schools offer the training or program you need?
The Department of Education's College Opportunities Online (COOL) Web site (http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cool/) can help you search for colleges, universities, career colleges and technical schools. Also the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) website (http://www.chea.org/search/default.asp) has a database that lists approximately 7,000 degree-granting and non-degree-granting institutions and over 17,000 programs that are accredited by United States accrediting organizations that have been recognized either by CHEA or by the United States Department of Education (USDE) or both. You can use COOL or CHEA to find information on schools offering the education, training or program you are interested in. When using COOL, be sure to click the box labeled "Title IV participating" at the bottom of the search page if you plan to apply for federal student financial aid. Only schools accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education are able to enroll students who receive federal student financial aid.

As you are checking out various colleges, universities, career colleges and technical schools you may also want to contact the licensing agency in the state where you want to go to school to find information on schools offering the education, training or program you're interested in. These agencies can also tell you whether the school you are considering is operating legally in the state or if the state requires the school to be licensed or certified in order to offer instruction. In a day and age where many career college and technical schools pop up overnight offering various educational and training programs while not be accredited or licensed it is important to make sure you are attending a credible program. To find a state licensing agency use the Directory of Higher Education Officials.

Will employers accept the education and training I receive as preparation for employment and advancement?
When choosing a school and what educational or training program you are going to attend it is critical to determine if your education or training will be accepted by employers to qualify you for positions and to help you advance. Read information about career fields and the education requirements in the Occupational Outlook Handbook from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and other resources. Read job descriptions, talk to people working in career field and call the employment office or human resources department of some businesses or companies where you might like to work. Ask those you contact if they expect employees to have a particular degree, certificate or license in order to be hired. Also ask if they can recommend a college, university, career college or technical school that provides the education and training required for employment.

Is the school you are considering accredited and licensed?
It is important to make sure the school you will be attending is accredited or licensed? Accrediting and state licensure agencies are gatekeepers that help make sure that you receive a quality education and get what you pay for. To learn more about accreditation and state licensure, read over the short descriptions below:

Accreditation
Accreditation is a good basic indicator of quality, although not every school chooses to be accredited. If a school is accredited by a nationally or regional recognized agency, it means it has met certain quality standards established by the accrediting agency.

To find out if a school is accredited by a nationally or regional recognized agency, check to see if the accrediting agency is included in the U.S. Department of Education's List of Nationally Recognized Accrediting Agencies.

Licensure
Most states have laws requiring that career colleges and technical schools be licensed or certified to offer instructional courses and programs. If a school has a license or certificate to operate, it means it has gone through a process to make sure that it meets certain standards. Some states do not require certain schools to be licensed or certified to operate legally in the state.

Contact the state licensing agency where the school is located to find out if it is operating legally in the state, using the Directory of Higher Education Officials.

What are the requirements for admission?
Are there minimum entry requirements at the college, university, career college or technical school you are considering? Is a high school diploma or GED required? If going into a graduate or professional program is a bachelor’s degree, a certain Grade Point Average (GPA), and GRE, MCAT, LSAT or other standardized test required? Contact the school and ask about their admission requirements, or go online to the school website and look for the admissions area. You can also go to your local library and look up information on the school.

Will your coursework transfer to another school?
When looking for a school to attend, you may want to find out if your coursework will transfer to another school for academic credit. This is especially important if you are attending a community college, career school or training program. You may want to look into this just in case you ever decide to transfer from one school to another. Some students use a strategy of attending a school for a couple years in preparation for a school with more stringent and selective admission policies. After a couple years of excelling academically they decide to transfer to another school. If this is your strategy then you need to make sure your course will transfer. Courses you take at one school do not automatically transfer to another school. To find out whether coursework will transfer to another school, call the admissions or registrar's office and ask if the institution will accept credits from the college, university, career or technical school you are considering.

Should you visit the school?
Yes, visit the school you are considering. While you are at the school, get a copy of the school catalog and take some time to look at the resources and facilities of the place you are considering attending. If you are going to be attending a career college or technical school check to see if they are the same type or similar to equipment that you will be using on the job after graduation. If so this is a good indicator.

It is also recommended that you sit in on a class or two and talk to the instructor and current students. Here are some questions to ask that will give you first-hand knowledge about the school:

Finally, be a smart consumer--look at several schools that offer similar programs. Compare accreditation, program length, schedule, price (cost), course offerings, transferability of course credits, placement rates, financial aid availability, campus crime, and any other factors that are important to you.

Paying for Your Education

How much will you pay for the degree, program or training?
School is a significant investment that requires some significant resources. Be sure to ask any college, university, career college or technical school you are considering about the total investment/cost of the degree or training program you are interested in. Also, ask if there are additional items such as books, supplies, and equipment that you will have to buy in order to successfully complete the program. You will also need to ask about any housing costs and well as cost of living expenses. Determining what your tuition will cover is important. Once you figure out your tuition fees as well as any other expenses you can determine how much money you need to pay for the education you need.

Prices for similar programs can be quite different from one school to another, so it's best to know ahead of time what it will cost you to get a degree, certificate, or diploma. Ask about the price of the program before any student aid, and then what it may cost if you get student aid.

Is financial assistance or student aid available?
An important question to ask a school you're interested in is whether financial assistance or student aid will be available to you. In particular, you might ask if the school participates in the federal student financial aid programs administered by the Department of Education. If you are veteran ask if the Department of Veterans Affairs approves it for veterans educational benefits and whether or not a student is able to attend the school with funding from the Workforce Investment Act.

Will you have to sign an enrollment contract?
If you make a decision to attend a career college or technical school, you will probably need to sign an enrollment contract. The contract will probably say that the school agrees to provide the program of instruction and other services outlined in the catalog and, in return, you agree to pay a certain sum of money and abide by the rules and regulations of the school.

Read the contract carefully and remember that the contract is a legally binding document between you and the school. Ask someone whose experience and advice you trust to review it with you. Make sure the contract specifically explains:

Don't sign a contract that has blanks in it. Read the entire document thoroughly before you sign, and do not sign unless you understand it. Once you have signed the agreement, be sure to keep a copy for your records.

What is the school's refund policy?
Take the time to review the refund policy published in the school's catalog. Every school is required to have a refund policy; however, policies will vary from state to state.

Special Considerations

Will or can your program be delivered by distance education?
With the Internet being such a common educational tool you may find that parts of all of your program or training will be delivered via the Internet or "at a distance." If you will be taking distance education courses find out as much about the school and the coursework as possible. It is important that you find out if the school is accredited by a nationally recognized agency.

Because distance education programs allow you to work in the convenience of your own home and at your own pace, it's important that you find out if this is the right learning style for you. Two helpful guides are: The Distance Learner's Guide published by the Western Cooperative for Educational Telecommunications and the Federal Trade Commission's Guides for Private Vocational and Distance Education Schools.

Does the school offer job placement assistance?
Many colleges, universities, career colleges and technical schools have career centers and/or provide job placement assistance as part of their service. If the school does offer job placement assistance, ask about the job placement rates (the percent of graduates placed in jobs) and compare the placement rates with those of other schools. Ask for information about recent graduates, and find out where they went to work.

Whenever possible, ask former students about their experience at a school you are considering. Did the education and training they received prepare them for the job they wanted? Some schools take surveys of the graduating class. These surveys gather employment information including jobs found, employers, locations and salaries.

How can you avoid diploma mills?
Unfortunately, there are some schools--often called "diploma mills"--that are more interested in taking your money than giving you a quality education. Information about how to avoid these types of schools can be found at:

Have students filed complaints against the school?
Depending on how thorough you want to be you may want to find out if any complaints have been filed against a school. In order to do this you should contact one or more of the following authorities:

Is crime at the school a problem?
The number and type of criminal offenses reported by a college or school to the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE) can be an important factor to consider before enrolling in a school. Criminal offenses at over 6000 colleges, universities, and career and technical schools in the United States can be found on the OPE Campus Security Statistics Website.