FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is a "Private Career School" (PCS)?
Do I need to become a PCS?
What are the considerations for becoming a PCS?
What is the process for becoming a PCS?
What are the more critical components of the PCS
application?
Can I get interim approval to open a new Private Career
School?
Do I need a Solicitor's Permit to recruit students in
Maryland?
What does it cost to open a Private Career School?
Application and Resources
Click
HERE to view a PDF PowerPoint slide-show about becoming a Private
Career School in Maryland.
What is a "Private Career School" (PCS)?
In
brief, private career schools offer career training to
adults. PCS are also variously known as trade or
technical schools or occupational training schools.
The
legal definition of a private career school in Maryland is a
privately owned and operated institution of postsecondary
education, other than an institution of higher education,
that furnishes or offers to furnish programs, whether
requiring a payment or a fee, for the purpose of training,
retraining, or upgrading individuals for gainful employment
as skilled or semiskilled workers or technicians in
recognized occupations or in new and emerging occupations.
(See
Approved PCS for information about currently
approved schools.)
Back to Top
Do I need to become
a PCS?
Generally, yes. However, not all educational
institutions or training providers are required to have
Commission approval to operate in Maryland. Some
education or training offered by churches or religious
institutions, as well as various workshops or seminars,
continuing education programs, apprenticeships, and
instruction offered by businesses for the exclusive use
of their employees might not be subject to Commission
approval.
To determine whether Commission approval is required for
your education or training to be offered in Maryland,
complete and submit this questionnaire and program
description form according to the instructions:
Private Career School Training
Questionnaire
(MS Word Document Form)
and
Private Career School Training
Program Description Form
(MS Word Document Form).
Training providers offering training to the public who
are neither approved nor have received notice otherwise
from the Commission, will be directed to cease and
desist operation or be subject to legal action including
closure and fines or both.
Back to Top
What are the considerations for becoming a PCS?
Please be aware that the application procedure to become
approved to operate a private career school in Maryland and
to operate a successful business venture requires resources,
planning, and commitment. For those not experienced
with starting a business or a school, developing a
comprehensive, written business plan before completing the
application is recommended. The
Small Business Administration provides a number of
useful resources such as the
Small Business Readiness Assessment Tool to help you
determine if you are ready to start a small business.
Sometimes applicants are so focused on the requirements of
the application that they fail to think through the actual
demands of running the school. Keep in mind that a
successful school has strong plans for student record
keeping including tracking students’ grades and daily
attendance, placement, managing personnel including making
sure that classes always have qualified instructors in
place, and having a sound financial plan to start a school
when expenses are high and income is not yet established.
Back to Top
What is the
process for becoming a PCS?
Generally, one must submit a complete
application (including a
financial guarantee, detailed training
curriculum, detailed school catalog, enrollment
agreement, student transcript), application fee,
Student Guarantee Fund payment, copy of facility
lease and related permits, and instructor and
staff personnel forms.
-
Applications are reviewed by Commission staff within 30
days of receipt and returned if any part of
the application is found to be incomplete;
-
Once the curricular materials are found to be complete,
they are typically reviewed by independent
subject matter experts and noted
deficiencies are addressed by the applicant;
-
A site visit of the training facility is required to
ensure that it and any related equipment
meet minimum requirements;
-
The Secretary’s Advisory Council (SAC) must review the
completed application and make
recommendation to the Secretary of Higher
Education. The SAC meets on an ad hoc basis
and no more than once a month.
-
If the SAC recommends approval, the application is
forwarded to the Secretary of Higher
Education for determination as to whether a
certificate of approval will be issued.
(See
TIPS for additional information)
Back to Top
What are the more critical components of the PCS
application?
The critical components of the
application which require a great deal of careful planning are:
-
The CURRICULUM—including
detailed daily lesson plans, outline, and full description of the
delivery of the training program to students.
-
The CATALOG—including
admission requirements, attendance, satisfactory progress and
grading policies.
-
The FACILITY—including
the lease, permits and inspections, liability and workers’
compensation insurance.
Back to Top
Can I get interim approval to open a new school?
Interim approval may only be given
in the event of the death of an already MHEC-approved
school certificate holder.
Back to Top
Do I need a Solicitor's Permit to recruit students in
Maryland?
If you are an Out-of-State non-degree
granting private career school, Maryland law requires that
school admissions personnel who enter Maryland to recruit
students must first obtain a Solicitor's Permit.
Solicitor's Permit Application (MS Word Document Form)
Back to Top
What does it cost to open a private career school?
There are
several initial cost considerations when deciding whether to
apply for approval to open a Private Career School.
·
Application fee:
A minimum cost of $300 dependent upon the number of programs
being proposed. This fee is nonrefundable.
·
Guaranty
Student Tuition Fund payment:
A minimum cost of $2,500 dependent upon the planned
enrollment of the proposed school.
·
Financial
Guarantee:
There will be costs involved when obtaining a performance
bond or letter-of-credit to cover the school’s financial
guarantee.
·
Facility:
Costs may include the lease or purchase of a facility,
initial utility fees, construction or build-out costs,
county or city permits and inspections.
·
Equipment:
Sufficient furniture and equipment for offices, classrooms
and laboratories.
·
Other:
Other expenses may include books; supplies; liability and
workers’ compensation insurance; possible fees from
consultants, accountants and attorneys; and corporation or
business registration. Once the school is approved to
operate in the State, there will be all of the usual ongoing
expenses of running a business (salaries/benefits,
utilities, rent/mortgage, supplies, taxes, etc.).
Back to Top
To obtain the application and instructions for completing the
application:
For additional assistance and resources for
completing the application, please refer to the following documents:
|
TIPS ABOUT THE APPLICATION PROCESS |
|
2 Parts |
The application is
in two parts.
Part I
which includes the proposed curriculum, school policies, and design of
the school may be submitted for initial review in advance of Part II.
Part II
requires the applicant to make substantial expenditures for facilities,
equipment, and the hiring of school personnel.
Both parts of the application must be complete and in compliance
with minimum standards before approval to operate maybe granted.
|
|
Financial Resources/
Financial Guarantee
|
|
|
Market Demand
|
Evidence is
required to substantiate that a labor market demand exists in Maryland
for proposed program(s) and that the proposed program(s) prepare
students to meet this demand.
Sample
Market/Employer Demand Survey (PDF)
Downloadable Market Survey Form
(MS Word Electronic Form)
|
|
Your Audience
|
When the
application is received, it is assigned to a staff member who reviews it
as to its completeness.
The curriculum component of the application is forwarded for
review to a curriculum consultant or, in the case of a licensed
occupation, to the applicable licensing board.
Once all issues are resolved and the application is in compliance
with minimum standards, it is presented to the Secretary’s Advisory
Council for its review and recommendation to the Secretary.
The Secretary of Higher Education makes the final determination
as to the approval of the application.
|
|
Time Line
|
The entire
application process generally requires several months to complete.
Back to Top
|
Return to Private Career School homepage
Return to Maryland Higher Education Commission homepage
November 14, 2011,
our new address is 6
N. Liberty St., Baltimore, MD 21201 | Phone: (410)
767-3301 | Toll Free: (800) 974-0203
