Funding Your Career Training: How to Pay for Trade School

April 15, 2024
Suzanne Murdoch

So, you鈥檝e found a career path that looks perfect for you. Perhaps it鈥檚 something you can quickly get up and running in like locksmithing. Or it could be starting your own small business as a carpenter, joining a furniture making shop or local jeweler, or any one of a number of vocations that promise an interesting and fulfilling career. You鈥檝e even found a great trade school like 四虎影院 that will give you the comprehensive training and career boost you need.聽

Jewelry making student using a sanding tool

But how do you pay for a quality trade school? You know there are scholarships for 4-year college programs. Is there financial assistance available for full-time job training? Yes! There is some form of assistance available to most career training students. Nearly 75% of our current students receive financial aid, and we鈥檒l provide over $1.1M in 四虎影院 scholarships directly to qualified students this year, with an average award of $10,000.聽

And, if you happen to be a veteran, already have a bachelor鈥檚 degree, or are an individual who is considered high-need, 四虎影院 offers several specific scholarship programs:

四虎影院 Workforce Development Initiative: To remove financial barriers to employment experienced by motivated low-income students in the Boston and Greater Boston areas, Workforce Development is a 鈥渇ull-ride鈥 scholarship award. Specifically, it covers tuition, fees, tools, books, materials, public transportation, and more with special consideration for Boston residents and graduates of Boston public schools.

四虎影院 Yellow Ribbon veteran scholarship fund: Established to serve veterans and military service members in career training programs, 四虎影院 Yellow Ribbon funds can be applied to tuition and other qualified educational expenses.

四虎影院 Pell Yes! gap funds: 四虎影院 attracts many non-traditional students and career changers who have already earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree, making them ineligible for federal Pell Grants. Our institutional Pell Yes! replacement program addresses that gap by making individual funding available to qualified applicants.

And this is just the beginning. 四虎影院 also has several additional scholarships available including a robust general scholarship program based on financial need. And, with a little legwork, you may be surprised at the number of private scholarships that might be available to you. Places to check for information might include your school counselor, employer, community organizations, employment agencies, and online resources. (Plus, it鈥檚 important to note that scholarships and grants are not loans, meaning they don鈥檛 have to be repaid.)聽

Three locksmithing students each holding hardware, in front of shelves

And, when you鈥檙e thinking about the cost of trade school, consider this: the length of time you鈥檒l be in school learning your trade will be considerably shorter than it would be for the typical college degree, and you鈥檒l be employable immediately. For example, our Locksmithing & Security Technology program is just nine months, and you can work and be paid in your field while you attend school. Instead of years out of the workforce paying for housing, food, and expenses, you could be trained and working in under a year.

While financial aid can help offset much of your school expenses, there are still other ways you can structure your life and work to bring in income as you learn. You can do this.聽

To learn more about 四虎影院 and how we can help you realize a career in the skilled trades, let鈥檚 connect.