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Consumer Alert

Private career colleges are schools that focus on preparing students for a very specific job or skills. Some public colleges are for-profits while others are not-for-profit institutions.

There are over 500 private career colleges in Ontario alone.

However, just like the due diligence you and your teenagers go through in choosing the right government-funded public university or college, you have to be very careful with respect to choosing a private college. But - for different reasons. You can lose your money. The Ontario government recently ordered a privately-run college in Mississauga to shut down after an inspection found it was offering unapproved programs to students and operating an illegal campus.

To operate in Ontario, private career colleges must be registered and have their courses approved by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities under the Private Career Colleges Act, 2005. This act ensures that private career colleges meet certain standards for the programs they offer, as well as advertising, refund policies, and instructor qualifications.

Choosing to go to a private career college is a very important decision. Make sure you do your homework before you decide. Here are some tips from the Ministry.

• Check to make sure the college and program you are interested in is approved to operate in Ontario. You can search for it on the Ministry's website accessible via www.edu.gov.on.ca
• Take a close look at how the program can help you achieve your career goals.
• Visit the college to see the facilities and the equipment it offers.
• Find out who your instructors will be.
• Add up the total cost, including the registration fee, tuition, lab fees, books, transportation, room and board.
• Examine the contract carefully to find out how much it will cost if you decide to leave the program before your training is completed.

The Ministry also says that there are a number of unregulated private organizations offering education or training programs. These include language-training programs, programs that are less than 40 hours in length, programs that cost less than $1,000, professional development and single-skill training programs. You have to really do your homework before handing your money over to one of these unregulated organizations.

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