Common Questions
The Private Career Colleges Act is the legislation that regulates private career colleges in Nova Scotia. The Act and the Regulations provide the requirements that must be met to register a college and the operational guidelines that have to be in place to maintain registration.
You can contact the Private Career Colleges Division by E-mail/phone/fax and request an Application to Register a Private Career College. The package will include the Act/Regulations, all the necessary forms and the Registration Guide which will help you through the process. If you have questions once you have received and read the material you can contact the division for assistance.
Registered colleges are listed on the Web site. For more information please contact a Career College Officer at 902-424-5636.
Instructors must meet specific requirements as set out in the regulations and are registered by the Department of Labour and Advanced . You can contact a career college officer in the Private Career College Division to determine if an instructor is registered.
Instructors are required to meet specific requirements as set out in the regulations and are registered by the Department of Advanced Education. You can contact a career college officer in the Private Career College Division to determine if an instructor is registered.
Many colleges are designated for Canada/Nova Scotia Student Loans. Students can apply for a loan by contacting the Student Assistance Office at 902-424-8420 or 1-800-565-8420 for further information.
The college is registered under the Private Career Colleges Act and the college must therefore meet specific requirements to be registered.
Industry is the best source of information on whether a training program is preparing you for employment. Recognition of your certificate/diploma is employer specific unless the occupation has a curriculum or certification standard. Do your homework before attending any college to ensure that your credentials are recognized.
Colleges are required by law to have a complaint resolution policy in effect. If you have a complaint, you must follow these steps:
1) Go through the college’s complaint resolution process, which includes submitting your complaint in writing to the college.
2) If your complaint is not addressed to your satisfaction after following the school's complaint process, you may file a complaint with Labour and Advanced Education. Complete the Private Career Colleges Complaint Form. Please submit this along with the written complaint that you submitted to the college, any documents submitted or received to or from the college in respect to the complaint, and the written decision by the college.
The Private Career Colleges Division will then review the submitted Complaint Form and decide upon the appropriate course of action. You may or may not be notified of any decision or outcome of action based on your complaint. Incomplete Complaint Forms will not be processed.
The Student Complaint Form is located in the Students tab on the left of the website.
While meeting the basic requirements set out by the Private Career Colleges Act and its regulations, each college sets its own policies on such things as attendance, dress codes, program completion requirements, etc. Student applicants must be provided with copies of all college policies before signing a student contract.