A Former Vocational School Director's Take on Continuing Education

As a former Vocational School Director, I am writing this article to arm you with the information you need to help you make an informed and educated decision about continuing your education before signing any vocational school contract. We’ve all seen the commercials. “Become a Medical Assistant, Dental Assistant or Massage Therapist in just 6 months.  How do you know if a vocational school program is legitimate or not? The reality is that many of these vocational schools target single mothers and individuals that qualify for financial aid and want to continue their education. Although financial aid programs may cover much of the tuition, eventually the student will be required to take out a student loan. If the student is unable to secure employment, how will they be able to pay back the loan, or what about the number of vocational schools that dissolve before the students are even able to graduate?

It’s the middle of the night and you can’t sleep so you turn on the tv and start flipping through the channels. You run across a commercial that shows a woman who recently graduated from a medical billing program and she’s telling you how successful and happy she is now that she’s armed with an education from ABC vocational school. You quickly write down the number and call the school the next day. First you need to know that the Admissions Counselor's job is to book as many appointments as he/she can. Just as in any sales job, they are looking to statistically turn leads into sales. Keep this in mind when you call. They will do everything they can to keep from mailing the information to you in order to get you to visit their office. If they won’t mail/e-mail you the information, ask for a web site address where you might view the information.   Try to do your homework before you visit the school to ensure that you are not swayed by slick sales presentations.

Now what information should you look for in their literature or on the web site?