5 Questions to Ask About Choosing a College or Training Program

No matter your age, level of experience, or stage in life, it can be beneficial to your career to pursue additional education or to earn a degree or certification in a specific field. Often it can be difficult to negotiate this decision and you likely have many options.

In addition to ensuring that your program is fully accredited, you’ll want to ask some questions to arrive at the best decision for you and your career.

Here are five questions to ask when considering enrolling in a program at a school or college.

What is the cost and how will you pay for it? There are many costs associated with taking classes, including tuition, books, equipment or tools, uniforms if required, and graduation fees. You might need to pay additional fee if you must drop or add a course. Understand the total costs involved, including time and travel costs to your classes. And there is also the question of how you will pay for your education. Will you take out a loan, use money from your savings, or only take courses you can pay for at the time? If you take out a large loan you will want to consider the likelihood of getting a good job or promotion after graduation to enable you to pay back the loan.

Can you earn the credentials you need? You will need to consider whether you plan to earn a degree or certification in your field and whether that will be enough to obtain the job you are after. For example, many jobs such as a psychologist or professor will require you to earn an advanced degree. Be sure that you understand the field you’re in or the field you wish to enter and gain a clear understanding of the credentials needed to be successful in that field.

Are you feeling pressured to enroll? If you have a recruiter pressuring you into applying for a program you might want to step back from the situation and trust your instincts. Some recruiters or counselors are paid based on the number of students they enroll and might be encouraging you to apply for a program that is not a good fit for you. Trust your gut and talk to some individuals you respect for their input. 

If you’re a veteran, can you get credit for your military training? Some schools and programs will help you save costs, if you’re a veteran, by applying credit for your military training. Be sure to ask about this of any program you’re interested in as it can save you a lot of money and time.

What percentage of graduates move on to jobs in their field? Of course, the primary reason you are pursuing additional education and training is to gain employment, move to another field, or increase the possibility for a promotion. You’ll want to obtain recent and clear data indicating the number of students that are hired upon graduation, in order to make a good decision about whether a program is right for you.