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Student Information, including Funding Assistance

The US Department of Education has information for individuals who are considering postsecondary schools, including a special section on Career Colleges and Technical Schools. The Federal Trade Commission Resources has consumer information on choosing a school and avoiding school marketing and financial aid fraud.

What We Do - and Don't Do

Within the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC), there are numerous programs, and the programs have different purposes. This program regulates privately owned career schools, but we do not provide any funding for students.

Where to Go for Training Assistance

You will need to contact your local Texas Workforce Center or Office to see what benefits and training assistance you are eligible to receive. Each local area decides how they will fund training, based on local needs.

Other Possibilities for Financial Aid

Another option for funding would be to decide on the type of training that you want, find a school that offers the training, and then discuss funding options with the school. TWC maintains a directory of licensed career schools and colleges. You can search for schools in a number of ways, including program type and location. In addition to the schools licensed by this program, there may be others that offer the type of training that interests you. Schools that are exempt from regulation, state colleges and universities and community colleges are among the schools that will not appear on our list. For more information on colleges and universities, contact the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board or by telephone at 512-427-6101.

Accreditation Bodies

• Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES)
• Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT)
• Accrediting Commission of the Council on Occupational Education (COE)
• Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training (ACCET)
• Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS)
• Distance Education and Training Council (DETC)

Financial Aid

• Federal Student Aid Publications - Financial aid information and applications, information on choosing a career and schools, and closed school guide for students.
• Financial Aid for Texas Students - A guide to student financial aid programs for Texas students, produced by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
• US Dept of Education - Education Statistics - While not all schools have federal financial aid, information on schools that do is available at this site.
• Facts for Consumers - A guide to help avoid deceptive offers of student loans.

Texas Career Opportunity Grant Program Information

Questions about your Student Loan?

The National Consumer Law Center's Student Loan Borrower Assistance Project is a resource for borrowers, their families and advocates representing student loan borrowers. This site is for people who already have student loans and want to know more about their options and rights.

Having Problems With Your School?

If you're having a problem with your school, you should first follow the policy explained in your school catalog. Usually, this is contained in a section titled "Grievances" or "Complaints". If your problem is not resolved, or for some reason you do not wish to follow your school's process, you may file a complaint with Career Schools and Colleges.

To file a complaint, you must complete form PS-401A, Student Complaint Record, which is available for download from the Career Schools and Colleges Forms section of our web site. Please follow the directions on the form carefully and provide as much detail as possible. You may provide copies of documentation to support your complaint. (Do not send your original documents.) This will greatly assist in the investigation of the complaint.

If your school is accredited, you can also file a complaint with your school's accrediting body. Links to the common accrediting bodies are provided at the top of this page.

Texas General Educational Development (GED) Program

Information about the Texas GED program, including confirming whether a person has a TX GED certificate, ordering a duplicate certificate and more.

Read a warning about fake GED testing services.

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