QUESTION:

"What is the list of federally qualified, as classified, trade school
skills?"


CLARIFICATIONS: 
 
1) I WOULD LIKE THE COMPLETE LIST, BUT IF IT IS TOO EXTENSIVE THEN, IT
CAN BE FOCUSED ON THE TRADES SCHOOLS THAT PERTAIN TO ANY TYPE OF
ENTERTAINMENT, THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY, PHOTOGRAPHY, THE ARTS (IN
GENERAL), WRITING, MUSIC,
RECORDING, BEAUTY & COSMETOLOGY, AND FASHION. 
 
2) PLEASE PROVIDE A SUMMARY AND LINKS.  
 
3) THIS QUESTION IS ONE OF A GROUP OF SIX.  BELOW IS THE ENTIRE GROUP.
 
1)  What are the Federal trade school classifications?  
2)  What Federal funds are available to students who enroll (in a
trade school) to learn a qualified, classified skill?
3) What are the specific requirements that must be meet (by a trade
school) in order for it's students to access federal funds.
4) What is the list of federally qualified, as classified, trade
school skills?
5) What federal legislation exists currently related to trade schools,
trade school funding and trade school classifications?
6) Who wrote, introduced and/or sponsored, the most resent trade
school related federal legislation?

---

Request for Question Clarification by larre-ga on 02 May 2003 15:47 PDT

I've read all of the questions you've asked and looked over the
Answers provided so far, as well as other Clarification exchanges.
There is no master listing of "qualified" trade school skills, per se.
There are only regulations by federally recognized Accreditation
Agencies as to what constitutes an acceptable institution under Title
IV, rather than specific trades. The rules for qualification for
federal student funding depend most heavily upon accredidation by one
of a number of Accediting Agencies. Each agency sets its own standards
for qualification. Would you like me to outline and provide links to
this qualifying criteria by those Accredidation Agencies that would be
most likely? Obviously, accredidation criteria from "ACCREDITING
BUREAU OF HEALTH EDUCATION SCHOOLS" would not be useful to you.

--larre-ga

---

Clarification of Question by highvoltageblond-ga on 02 May 2003 19:47 PDT

Yes, that's a great idea.... Would you please tell me who the
federally recognized Accreditation Agencies are (that relate to my
area)as well as what constitutes an acceptable institution under Title
IV. rather than specific trades.

And yes again, if the rules for qualification for federal student
funding depend most heavily upon accredidation by one of a number of
Accediting Agencies and each agency sets its own standards for
qualification. I would very much like to to outline and provide links
to this qualifying criteria by those Accredidation Agencies that would
be most likely.

Thanks for the great ideas!

Thanks for asking!

I'm going to first provide an excerpt from the U.S. Department of
Education with information about applying for first-time approval to
be designated as an eligible institution and if applicable, to
participate in the Federal Student Financial Assistance Programs. The
document is actually the first page of the online e-application
process and outlines all the federal eligibility requirements in order
to qualify to administer the basic student loan programs.

U.S. Department of Education - Federal Student Assistance
Schools Portal - Initial Application
http://www.eligcert.ed.gov/ows-doc/initial.htm

"Listed below are the minimum requirements that a postsecondary
educational institution must meet in order to apply for eligibility.
If the institution also wishes to participate in the Title IV
programs, it must meet the financial responsibility standards and
administrative capability requirements. We urge you to review the
student financial assistance regulations regarding the requirements
that must be satisfied before a school is approved to offer federal
student aid. The applicable federal regulations are 34 CFR Parts 600
and 668."

The applicable Regulations, in .PDF format:

Part 600
Institutional Eligibility Under the Higher 
Education Act of 1965, As Amended
http://www.ifap.ed.gov/regcomps/attachments/600.pdf

PART 668--Student Assistance General Provisions
http://www.ifap.ed.gov/regcomps/attachments/668.pdf


The Department of Education's rules of eligibility include
accreditation by one or more approved Accrediting Agencies (which I'll
list further below) -and-  must provide "training to students for
employment in a recognized occupation"

Federally recognized occupations are those which are:

(1) Listed in an "occupational division" of the latest edition of the
Dictionary of Occupational Titles, published by the U.S. Department of
Labor; or

(2) Determined by the Secretary in consultation with the Secretary of
Labor to be a recognized occupation.


Within the current Dictionary of Occupational Titles, there are a
number of possible eligible job titles. I'll list categories, and
links, you can choose the qualifying titles, by clicking on the
Summary links and noting the individual tasks.

27-2012.00 - Producers and Directors
http://online.onetcenter.org/report?r=0&id=1311

27-1014.00 - Multi-Media Artists and Animators
http://online.onetcenter.org/report?r=0&id=1307

27-2012.01 - Producers
http://online.onetcenter.org/report?r=0&id=391

27-2012.02 - Directors-Stage, Motion Pictures, Television, and Radio
http://online.onetcenter.org/report?r=0&id=392

27-4031.00 - Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Motion Picture
http://online.onetcenter.org/report?r=0&id=362

27-4032.00 - Film and Video Editors
http://online.onetcenter.org/report?r=0&id=365


You'll find a master listing of Occupational Titles for Entertainment
occupations is available at:

Occupational Information Network Online (O*Network Online)
http://online.onetcenter.org/search


The National Accrediting Bodies/Agencies
**********************************************************************

Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and
Colleges of Technology 
********************************************

Scope of recognition: the accreditation of private, postsecondary,
non-degree-granting institutions and degree-granting institutions,
including those granting associate and baccalaureate degrees, that are
predominantly organized to educate students for occupational, trade
and technical careers, and including institutions that offer programs
via distance education.

Elise Scanlon, Executive Director 
2101 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 302 
Arlington, Virginia 22201 
Tel. (703) 247-4212, Fax (703) 247-4533 
E-mail address: info@accsct.org 
Web address: www.accsct.org

ACCSCT Steps in the Accrediting Process

-- Eligibility
-- Completion of Accreditation Workshop
-- Self-Evaluation Process
-- Self-Evaluation Report
-- ACCSCT Team Visit
-- Commission Review and Action

Steps of the Accrediting Process
http://www.accsct.org/getting/get_process2.html

ACCSCT then evaluates candidate institutions based upon Standards of
Accreditation:

-- Student Recruitment
-- Advertising and Promotion
-- Tuition and Refund Policies
-- Admission Policies and Practices
-- Enrollment Agreements
-- Instructional Materials
-- Employment Qualifications
-- Faculty
-- Financial Stability and Responsibility
-- Placement
-- Student Progress

Standards of Accreditation
http://www.accsct.org/getting/get_process3.html


The Council on Occupational Education
*************************************

Membership in the Council is achieved through a process whereby an
institution elects on a voluntary basis to seek affiliation with the
Council. The institution seeks initial affiliation with the Council as
a candidate for accreditation, which is followed by an extensive
self-assessment and, where necessary, self improvement effort to
demonstrate compliance with the Council's standards and criteria on
educational quality for occupational education institutions.
Membership in the Council is achieved and maintained by institutions
through the granting of accreditation or reaffirmation of
accreditation by the Commission of the Council. Accreditation is a
status of recognition that is granted to an institution which complies
with the eligibility requirements, standards, procedures, and
obligations adopted by the member institutions of the Council.

Dr. Harry Bowman, Executive Director
41 Perimeter Center East, NE Suite 640
Atlanta, GA 30346
770-396-3898 800-817-2081
FAX: 770 396-3790
E-mail address: bowmanh@council.org
Website address: http://www.council.org/

COE Eligibility Requirements:

Each educational institution (school, center, unit, or other entity)
applying for affiliation with the Council must initially demonstrate
that it satisfies each of the requirements enumerated below. Taken
together, these requirements define the kind of educational
organization that the Council considers a part of its institutional
universe and within the scope of the accrediting activities for which
the Commission assumes
responsibility. 

To be eligible to be considered by the Commission for candidate for
accreditation (preaccreditation status), an institution must:

a. Offer associate degree and/or non-degree postsecondary
   instruction in career and workforce development.
b. Be legally authorized to operate within the jurisdiction
   in which it is located.
c. Have been in continuous operation providing instruction for
   a minimum of one year.
d. Demonstrate that it has the administrative and financial 
   capacities to support the educational programs offered.
e. Be in compliance with all Federal requirements applicable
   to accreditation.
f. Agree to comply with all requirements of the Council.

The Council offers a 77 page .PDF Manual entitled Handbook of
Accreditation. The Handbook is available for download from their
Publications page:

Council on Occupational Education - Publications
http://www.council.org/Documents/documents.asp?page=publications


Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training
*********************************************************

ACCET is home to a multitude of institutions and corporate training
organizations that are voluntarily affiliated for the purpose of
improving continuing education and training. Accreditation with ACCET
provides much more than just our stamp of approval, in the truest
sense, it is a partnership for quality.

ACCET has been officially recognized by the U.S. Department of
Education, since 1978, as a "reliable authority as to the quality of
education or training provided by the institutions of higher education
and the programs they accredit." In 1998, ACCET became the only
recognized accrediting agency to be certified as an ISO 9001- Quality
Management System under the international standards established by the
International Organization for Standardization.

Roger J. Williams, Executive Director
1722 N. Street N.W.
Washington, DC   20036
202-955-1113     202-955-1118 Fax
E-Mail:   info@accet.org
Website Address:   http://www.accet.org

Eligibility Requirements and the Accreditation Process are described
in the following documents:

ACCET
Eligibility: http://www.accet.org/eligibility.html
Process: http://www.accet.org/accprocess.html


ADDITIONAL ACCREDITATION AGENCIES
**********************************************************************

There are four Arts accreditation agencies, but their scope seems too
narrow for your project. I'll list the major link to them all, and you
can look them over. NAST (National Association of Schools of Theater)
-might- be a possibility, but from the Members List, their
concentration is in the dramatic side of theater, rather than the
technical side.

National Office for Arts Accreditation.
http://www.arts-accredit.org/


In addition to the Accrediting Agencies listed above, there are also
several U.S. Regional Accreditation Agencies. You may view the list
at:

Department of Education - Regional Accrediting Agencies
http://www.ed.gov/offices/OPE/accreditation/regionalagencies.html

If you would care to let me know the appropriate region, I'll be glad
to outline the eligibility requirements and provide links.

The full listing of Accrediting Agencies is available at:

U.S. Department of Education
Accrediting Agencies Recognized for Title IV Purposes 
http://www.ed.gov/offices/OPE/accreditation/titleivagencies.html


SEARCH STRATEGY
**********************************************************************

Exploration of the U.S. Department of Education Website

Google Search Terms: 

private college accreditation
"trade school" accreditation



The information I've listed covers federal Title IV Eligibility only,
Federal Aid for Students. There are also Veteran's Education loans
which are covered by a different set of rules and regulations.
Additionally, each U.S. State Department of Education sets standards
for vocational and technical schools. Those areas are beyond the scope
of this question, however, I'd be happy to assist you, should you also
require that type of information, in reports similar to this.

Again, if you'll indicate your U.S. region, I'll provide an
eligibility outline and Contact information for that particular
accrediting body. I hope the information I've gathered is exactly as
you expected. If anything I've said is unclear, or you have questions
about the materials or links, please, feel free to ask.

--larre

---

Request for Answer Clarification by highvoltageblond-ga on 03 May 2003 10:05 PDT

Hi!  Thanks for all the info!  

My school will be located in Hawaii, thus specific HI related
information is of enormous interest.

I am espcially interested in details pertaining to the rules that
permit vocational schools that are *not accredited* to participate in
financial aid programs if they are otherwise certified by a state
education department (or similar body.

Thnaks!

---

Request for Answer Clarification by highvoltageblond-ga on 03 May 2003 10:54 PDT

BTW Larre, I'm originally from Clarkesville Georgia.

---

Clarification of Answer by larre-ga on 03 May 2003 15:49 PDT

Thank you for your response. The applicable U.S. regional
accreditation agency for Hawaii is the Western Accrediting Commission
for Schools.


Western Accrediting Commission for Schools
**********************************************************************

"WASC accredits institutions such as public and private high schools,
junior high and middle schools, elementary schools, adult schools, and
regional occupational and vocational skills centers. Charter schools
are included as well. We do not accredit programs such as a dance
school, a summer science camp, a training school for computer
applications, a foreign language school, or any other program that
does not provide a complete array of services and curricula typically
offered by fully functioning academic institutions."

Northern California Office
533 Airport Boulevard, Suite 200
Burlingame, CA 94010-2009
Phone 650.696.1060 
Fax 650.696.1867

Southern California Office 
43517 Ridge Park Drive, Suite 100 
Temecula, CA 92590-3615 
Phone 909.693.2550 
Fax 909.693.2551 

Email mail@acswasc.org
Website http://www.acswasc.org 


WASC Conditions of Eligibility
******************************

To be considered for Candidate for Accreditation status, the applicant
school must be an elementary or secondary school meeting the following
criteria:


-- Be in operation, with students, teachers, and 
   administration in place.

-- Have developed and published a clear statement of purposes
   together with plans for a curriculum to carry out these 
   purposes.

-- Have a properly functioning governing board.

-- Have employed a chief administrative officer who is 
   qualified for the position.

-- Have an organization, facilities, course offerings, and 
   staffing acceptable for the school's stage of development.

-- Have a school plan including objectives for student 
   achievement and assessment plans to measure progress 
   towards the goals.

-- Have an admissions policy compatible with its stated 
   objectives.

-- Offer instruction in all subject areas required by 
   applicable law and have a written sequential curriculum 
   appropriate to the school's purpose. 

-- Have instructional staff with a repertoire of skills and 
   instructional methods.

-- Have plans to provide access to appropriate extracurricular
   and enrichment activities.

-- Have developed an adequate financial base to give 
   reasonable assurance of continuing financial stability. 

Non-public schools must meet the legal requirements of the
jurisdiction in which they are located. For example, California
non-public schools must list with the California Department of
Education submitting an affidavit indicating complaisance with
Education Code Section 33190. Likewise, Hawaiian non-public schools
must be licensed by the Hawaii Council of Private Schools or,
certified by the Western Catholic Educational Association and
accredited in association with the Western Association of Schools and
Colleges, under the authority of Act 188, Session Laws of Hawaii,
1995.

WASC - Eligibility and Requirements
About Applying for Accreditation
http://www.acswasc.org/Newsite/articles/application.html



As my colleague has indicated, schools licensed under their own state
regulations may be able to substitute that credential for national or
regional accreditation.


STATE REGULATION OF PRIVATE SCHOOLS - HAWAII
**********************************************************************

Under Hawaiian law, every private school is subject to the supervision
of the Hawaiian Department of Education. Haw. Rev. Stat. § 298-7.

Registration/Licensing/Accreditation: The Hawaii Council of Private
Schools (performs the functions and assumes the responsibilities of
the Hawaii Department of Education (HDOE) for the licensing of private
schools in Hawaii. Memorandum of Understanding The Hawaii Council of
Private Schools, HDOE, Hawaii Association of Independent Schools
(HAIS), pursuant to Hawaii Sessions Law, ACT 188.

State Regulation of Private Schools - June, 2000
http://www.ed.gov/pubs/RegPrivSchl/hawaii.html



Hawaii Council of Private Schools
1585 Kapiolani Blvd., Suite 1206
Honolulu, Hawaii 96814
Phone (808) 973-1540
Email: myrnam@hais.org
Website: http://www.hais.org/HCPS.htm

The Hawaii Council of Private Schools offers a .PDF document
explaining eligibility and qualifications for licensing.

Private School Manual
http://www.hais.org/forms/Private_School_Manual.pdf

The Manual outlines general requirements and details the necessary
steps for establishing a trade school in the State of Hawaii. The
following excerpt explains the "pre-conditions" necessary for
licensing by the Council:

It is assumed that schools applying for approval meet established
legal requirements of the State of Hawaii for private schools. Schools
applying for approval can be expected to have to provide verification
of compliance with such requirements as:

1. Possession of a charter from the Department of Commerce and
   Consumer Affairs
2. Possession of an excise tax license
3. Evidence of a recent county fire/safety inspection
4. Evidence that students comply with health/immunization
   requirements
5. License from the Department of Human Services as required
   for early childhood programs

The Accreditation process of the Hawaii Council of Private Schools is
also outlined in the Manual:

B. Section II: Procedures for Direct Approval of Private Schools

1. Before filing an application with the Council, a school shall
obtain a charter from the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs
and an excise tax license.

2. An application for approval by the Council shall be made to the
Council's executive staff upon forms provided for this purpose and
shall be accompanied by additional information as may be required. The
application will serve as a document of adherence to the Standards for
Private School Approval in addition to providing basic information
about the school's sponsorship or ownership, organizational structure,
mission, program, staff, students, and facilities. The application
shall be completed and filed not less than ninety (90) days before the
opening date for the new school or new school year.

A fee in an amount established by the Council shall accompany the
application.

3. The school's owner or principal officer shall submit to the Council
staff the names of three persons who are able to testify to the
owner's or principal officer's character, professional ability, and
competency to operate the school.

4. The applicant school shall provide evidence of the school's ability
to fulfill commitments to provide an educational program and to meet
its obligations. Such evidence shall include a financial statement or
balance sheet, proposed operating budget, student enrollment contract,
and staff employment contract.

5. Upon receipt of the application and related information, it shall
be reviewed by
the Council staff to ensure that it is complete and ready for teview
by the Council. If the application is not ready for review by the
Council, the Council staff will notify the applicant and seek the
additional information that may be required.

6. Once the previous steps have been completed, the Council staff will
arrange for a visit to the school by at least one member of the staff
and the head of a neighboring approved school to verify compliance
with the Standards and the provisions of this Section.

7. The application and report of the visit shall be acted upon at a
meeting of the Council's Board or, if necessary, by mail ballot. The
Council may take action in the form of:
 
(a) unconditional approval; 
(b) delayed or conditional approval;
(c) temporary approval for a year with a further review by the Council
at that time, depending on the degree of establishment of the school
and/or the level of compliance with the standards for approval; or
(d) denial of approval. 

The action, with reasons for anything other than unconditional
approval, will be conveyed to the applicant by the Council staff.

8. If the applicant feels that the action of the Council in step 7 is
unfair or unjustified, the applicant may request a hearing in front of
the Council's Board at a meeting to be established for this purpose
and submit any additional information. After such appeal, the
Council's decision is final.

9. Approval shall be limited to the specific location, grades, and the
general curriculum for which the application is approved. If approval
is desired for a new location, additional locations or grades,
application must be made to the Council for modified approval.

10. The term of approval shall be established by the Council when it
takes action on the application and report of the visit, but for
schools receiving unconditional approval, the term shall be six years.
An application for continued approval shall be made to the Council's
executive staff not less than ninety (90) days before the opening date
of the seventh school year, and the Council staff will arrange for a
visit to the school. The Council shall take action and the procedures
outlined in steps 7, 8, and 9 shall again be applied as is
appropriate.


RESOURCE LINKS
**********************************************************************

State of Hawaii
Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs
http://www.state.hi.us/dcca/

State of Hawaii
Department of Taxation
http://www.state.hi.us/tax/faq.html#GET

**********************************************************************

We always enjoy hearing from Georgians, since our GA name extensions
pay tribute to that state's abbreviation! I've been through Atlanta
upon occasion, however, at present, the Googleplex (Silicon Valley),
Google Answers (Silicon Valley), and I (Yosemite) are all located
within the state of California.

I hope this supplies further information relevant to your pursuit of
Federal Student Aid trade school accreditation.

--larre

Larre-ga has given you some excellent information here about
accreditation (no surprise, since Larre's one of GA's best
researchers!).

An answer of mine to one of your other questions also dealt with
accreditation somewhat, and I just want to repeat an important point. 
In addition to the national accrediting bodies that are listed by the
Department of Education, the rules also permit vocational schools that
are *not accredited* to participate in financial aid programs if they
are otherwise certified by a state education department (or similar
body) -- sort of an alternative accreditation process, if you will.

Just something to keep in mind as you continue to gather the
information needed to get your school underway.

Larre, Would you be interested in researching the below for me?  If
so, how do I go about requesting your assistance when I post a new
question?


QUESTION:
What are the top 10 organizations as far as annual expenditures on:

1) VIP Vacations that are held "away from home" at exotic and/or
unusual locales? For example the YPO (Young Presidents Organization)
who organizes a VIP trip for it's members for 10 days in Hawaii?

2) How much was spent in totality by each organization PER GROUP for
the "away from home" VIP vacation?

3) How much was spent PER PERSON  by each organization for the "away
from home"  VIP vacation?

4) How many VIP's attended each of the "away from home" exotic locale
vacations?

5) What was the VIP vacation locale? 

6) Was there anything unique that was featured/offered at each?  For
instance - was there a golf tournament with Tiger Woods?  Guitar
lessons with Pat Metheny?  If so, what was the "unique/featured"
person or item. And how much was spent acquiring them?

7) What type of daily activities and programs were offered at each? 

8) What types of evening events took place at each? 

9) Who were the guest speakers?  What did they cost?

10) What was the entertainment?  What did it cost?

11) How many days did each of the VIP vacations last?

12) Who was responsible for the VIP vacations for each of the
organizations?

You may direct questions to specific Researchers in either the Subject
or in the Question itself.

I've done a few preliminary searches related to the new, VIP Vacation
questions above. I'd like very much to assist you, however this falls
outside my areas of expertise. I don't believe I'm the best one to be
able to locate this information. If the detailed info is available at
all, it is proprietary to the organizations and organizers. Unless the
organizations are non-profit, or publicly traded companies, financials
like these are held pretty closely, not released in any Internet
accessible database. Details of such vacations might be available in
narrative form on organizational websites, but probably in Members
Only sections. I didn't run across any such publicly indexed
narratives or discussions in my very short, preliminary search.  VIP
Vacation Organizers would not be likely to reveal these figures,
except to their accountants and Uncle Sam. I don't have the sort of
inside sources that such Answers would require.

I believe you'd be more likely to obtain answers by posting these as
general questions to the entire Researcher pool, perhaps as individual
questions, individually priced at 1/12 the amount you'd originally
considered. We all love high dollar questions, but in this case, I
think you'd get better results by breaking it up into less expensive
pieces.

=l=

Hi Larre!

You are not alone....Several other researches have made the same
comment/suggestion.... However, I must admit that I find (due to the
type of information requested) the suggestion to be a bit baffling....

Perhaps I'm mistaken, but it seems to me that once someone is
researching, and has accessed, one portion of my question, for a given
corporation's VIP retreat/vacaion/biz meeting, they will also have
accessed most of (if not all) the other pertinent information.

Would they not?  

Thus I do not see how asking 6 different researchers, to answer 6
different questions,  all pertaining to the same corporation's VIP
retreat/vacaion/biz meeting is efficient.

Perhaps someone would explain this to me, as maybe I'm mistaken and/or
missing something???  I will freely admit I'm not a professional
researcher and I'm not closed to the idea, I simply don't understand
the rationale behind it.

That said, I'm going to post the above response, as a comment to the
others who suggested I break up my question, as perhaps their point of
view will prove helpful in my assessment.

Greetings hivoltage,

We're not recommending different researchers, so much as the fact that
Researchers are expected  to answer an entire set of questions, in
order to post an Answer. Our contract holder, Google Answers, frowns
upon the practice of partial answers. We're concerned that not all
parts of the answer will be available, and therefore we might not be
able to answer at all.

--l

Or, alternatively, providing a partial answer would involve an
extensive series of Clarifications across many timezones, negotiating
the terms of an acceptable Answer. Few of us are willing to enter that
process voluntarily. I don't want to see your questions lost in the
shuffle, as Researchers realize that the negotiation of acceptability,
plus the research time needed to find and write up the information
exceeds the value of the question.

I've always been known for my directness. I hope this info gives you
an insider's look at the selection process of our Researcher pool. I
can't speak for all of us, of course, however, such discussions are a
frequent topic among us.

--l

Got it!  Now i understand.... 

So, if you were to look at my two newly posted "REVISED" questions,
would you recommend breaking them up too?  Or do you think they're ok
since I've acknowledged certain information may not be accessible?

The revised questions have a better chance of attracting
subject-knowledgeable answerers. Not all researchers work weekends, so
responses may be a little slower than your previous questions.

larre