What do you think about all of the career schools? (Houston: fit in, sales)

[L210]

It seems like every time I turn around, we have a new career school. I was disturbed to see a career school commercial with this lady encouraging her friend to drop out of college and become a medical assistant. I can make as much money as a medical assistant without racking up a $12,000 student loan. You have to be careful though. If you go to Sanford-Brown to become a sonographer, the school doesn't have the sonography accreditation that allows you to take the licensing exam. The state is going to require that you work for a year first and you'll have to find someone to hire you without a license. Do we really need anymore career schools? I know some of these provide training you can't get anywhere else, but this looks like overkill.


Career Point
Sanford Brown
Kaplan
Concorde Career Institute
Everest
Brown-Mackie
Vogue
Milan
Devry
University of Phoenix
Texas Careers
SVTC or whatever it's called
AHCP or whatever that's called
Southern Careers
Career Quest
Art Institute
International Academy of Design
Lamson Institute
Hallmark College
Southwest School of Business and Technical Careers
ITT Tech
And I'm probably missing a lot of others

If any of you have been to these or other schools like these, what have been your experiences?

[mamatotex97]

No everyone is cut out for traditional college leaving the need for these schools. I saw the very same commercial you were referring to and I cringed. Obviously the girl should not drop out of for example, UTSA , to be a medical assist making 10-15 an hour.

People need to do their research first even before attending one of these schools. Find out what the accrediation is, what tests will be needed, licensing etc.

Many here have complained that San Antonio is an uneducated city and there are too many low paying jobs. Hopefully at least some of these schools provide a better opportunity for those who aren't able to attend college for whatever reason.

[Merovee]

*double thumbs up* Thanks, Career Point!

Are not some of these schools scams especially if you get a grant to attend? Toward the end they will find a way to claim the grant cannot be honored and that you owe them so much before you can get your degree or whatever they give you.

On the other hand I have heard of some gaining a skill that they used to get a job with.

If it was up to me ACCD and other area colleges or universities would be the only ones to offer not just traditional degrees but all the job training necessary for our city. As is they already have quite a variety of programs and partners as part of their continued education department.

[skeet09]

Cousin went to Southwest School of Business and Technical Careers and ended up doing collections. She's in a couple thousand in debt for it and could have received the same training for much less at a community college. With the community college route, there is always an opportunity to earn a bachelor's degree later down the line via the BAAS (Bachelor's of Applied Arts & Sciences) degree plan.
A community college has various avenues for those not seeking an Associates degree or transfer to a 4 year. There's the continuing education department, marketable certificates which are 2-4 classes long, certificates which can be about 4-8 classes so there's almost something for everyone.

[Bo]

There was a good PBS Frontline episode about for-profit colleges and universities a few months back. What those places sell is convenience and streamlined access to student loans. Most people would be better off sticking with public colleges and reconfiguring their schedules to make public college fit in than taking on all of that student loan debt.

[ashbeeigh]

I had a friend and now (this is another person) a co-worker's husband both work at for profit schools at admissions reps. These were two different schools in SA. One of them said that they had to put a camera on when they spoke to potential students to discuss the admission's process and basically hard sell them on the school...get them to sign up right then and there. The other one loves their job, but who knows...it's early. They're both heavy sales positions.

I've also been reading up on regulations that may of these schools will be facing in the near future with all their students going into large amounts of debt. These schools have to meet certain criteria to qualify for financial aid and one of those guidelines will be students defaulting. Career school students are defuatlnig left and right. It's horrible!

[L210]

I heard about the new regulations cracking down on default rates. I need to watch College, Inc. I attend Palo Alto and San Antonio College online and they also have evening classes. Even Incarnate Word and Our Lady of the Lake are offering weekend, evening, and online classes. I'm hoping to transfer to University of Texas Telecampus, University of Houston - Victoria, or Sam Houston State University, all have online degree or degree completion programs. Both St. Philip's campuses offer vocational and technical training.

[loves2read]

what these companies sell is bull---
my son and daughter in law taught English at two different ones in the DFW area
they had some real horror stories about the quality of student and the types of people in admin--
they both left because they could not take the pressure to just pass people w/o giving any credence to whether they were actually learning the material/doing the work--
basically they were just supposed to give passing grades to anyone in their classes...

my son said that his school would recruit new students at homeless shelters--
get them to sign up for classes the admin knew the people would not/could not complete--
just to get them on the books and get the tuition from govt loans

it is a scam--and frankly taxpayers who cover those loans are the ones being hurt--
we have been for decades but lately with the growth of the "private" school mentality and rapacity it has gotten to be a real money faucet...

some people who have invested in these schools pay for a good lobby--and they are getting their money's worth (with OUR tax dollars)...

[Dopo]

At some point... somebody is going to blame the victims

[Neshomamench]

As has been said, you can get the same thing at a Community College...and it counts. I am pretty sure it is cheaper as well. Maybe because it is "harder"(CC) that is why people would pick something else.