3. Get feedback from other sources. Besides accreditation and how current they are, one of the main things you want know is how good is the school overall and have they ever been involved in any lawsuits or do any former students have complaints. The best way is a Google search by typing in the name of the school followed by "legal". This will bring up past and pending lawsuits. California residents can check with the Bureau of Postsecondary and Public Vocational Education(BBPVE). Also find out what other names do they operate under and if they constantly change names or change programs of study. This is not a good sign as could possibly be a way to evade lawsuits and/or public complaints. If a school has a long history in teaching certain trades or a school prides itself in one specialty, they deserve a point. Private vocational schools that one week offer MSCE one week and offer nursing the next or worse, offer both bartending and veterinary assistant training should be given serious thought or most likely, avoided altogether. A solid history with a trade or vocation means access to resources (job prospects, advanced learning opportunities) as well as a staff that is knowledgeable enough to give students the real deal behind a particular industry besides the money. The newspaper as well as employment magazines like Working World can give more unbiased information that will be helpful in selecting a school. Look also for regional and industry changes-something in which I have first hand experience. A long time ago, after completing a Medical Assistant course (back then state certification was optional, now it is mandatory) I found that I did not qualify for a lot of jobs because I not only lacked an externship but I am not bilingual Spanish, which in Los Angeles county is becoming more and more common. More recent, I found that the need for website designers has decreased due to the popularity as well as easy to use MySpace and blog programs that do not require knowledge of HTML (hypertext markup language) or JavaScript programming. Also, a good number of these jobs go to those with a Bachelor's in Information Technology or Multimedia Science.

4. Compare the price of tuition. Regional Occupational Centers/Programs (ROC/P) and adult schools offer similar courses to that of the private schools, usually at a small (5% or less) portion of the price and the completion time is about the same (even with holiday breaks). The only downside is that they rarely pre-screen prospective students and should a student either disrupt a class or is having a hard time keeping up, they are rarely asked to leave the course for good. Community colleges sometimes offer certificate programs and non-credit courses that usually cost a little more than ROCs but are still less than half the cost of a private institution. Think also about the profession you are entering and time it will take to pay back. If you take a course is Business Administration (basic office procedures utilizing Microsoft Office and possibly some basic accounting) at a ROC, the cost will be around $250 or less for one year; the same courses at a community college may be between $200-500 per year. With a private vocational school, look forward to parting with at least $4000 but can go as high as $8000 or more! That's not including the interest incurred by financial aid. The upside is that the average completion time is 6-9 months.

5. Make sure this is what you want to do. I've fallen victim to "booming" employment trends as a way to secure job stability. They best way to find out is to take an assessment test by your high school or state employment counselor, talk to people you may know in a particular industry, see if it might be a fit for you or just do your homework, even if it takes months. The last thing you want to do is spend money on training that may not bring immediate income and it is not something that you at least appreciate.

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