Who Has to Be Registered
The Private Career Training Institutions Agency (PCTIA), under the authority of
the Private Career Training Institutions Act registers institutions that
provide instruction in programs that exceed $1000 in tuition and 40 hours in duration.
Before these programs can be delivered, the institution and its programs must be
registered.
Until an institution has been registered and its programs approved, it is a violation
of the Private Career Training Institutions Act to deliver or advertise the delivery
of these programs. An institution cannot enrol or collect tuition from students
until the institution and programs are registered.
Private career colleges are private institutions that enter into contracts with
individual students to provide one or more career training programs for a fee.
- The Private Career Training Institutions Act does not apply
to a college of applied arts and technology, university, public or private elementary
and secondary schools and institutions that do not have a physical presence in British
Columbia.
- Some institutions may voluntarily choose to register with PCTIA even
though their programs would not normally require them to be registered. Approval
of voluntary registrants is determined by the Agency's Registrar.
It should be noted that some institutions are exempt from registration and some
programs do not require registration under the Act.
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How To Register a Private
Career Training Institution in British Columbia
All the necessary registration forms can be found on the Agency's
website in the "Downloads" section.
To register a private career training institution, applicants must complete the
following registration process:
- Apply for and complete a "New Institution Registration Workshop"
- Submit an Application for Registration and application fee
- Provide all materials and information requested by the Agency
- Pay the applicable fees for the upcoming year
- a Site Visit/Inspection may be required
Please note that some programs do not require registration under the Private Career
Training Institutions Act. The Agency will determine your eligibility or
requirement to register upon review of your completed Application for Registration
and application fee payment.
Private Career Training Institution Application for
Registration
If you are interested in registering your organization as a private career training
institution in British Columbia, you must first attend a "New Institution Registration
Workshop". This workshop has two components: an on-line work-at-your-own-pace section
and a single-day, in-person, session. Both components must be completed. There is
a small fee associated with this workshop.
After the workshop has been completed, you will be ready to complete
a Private Career Training Institution Application
for Registration (Word document) and submit it to the Agency along with
the application fee stated on the form. Applications for Registration are not processed
unless the application fee is submitted.
Agency staff will review the information provided in your completed Application
for Registration to determine if your organization needs to be registered. If additional
information is required, Agency staff will contact you directly. Once it has been
determined whether registration is required, you will receive a formal response
from the Agency. The normal turnaround for a response to an Application for Registration
is approximately six weeks.
Please ensure that your Application for Registration has been completed accurately.
It is important to provide as much information as possible about the programs you
intend to offer and to include all proposed program and course outlines and any
additional information that you believe will be helpful in determining the status
of the proposed programs under the Act.
Application Processing
The registration process is a rigorous exercise. It normally takes
between one to two months to complete the necessary requirements to become a registered
private career training institution in British Columbia.
Once your application has been reviewed by the Agency, a letter or email will be
sent to you outlining any corrections or additional submissions required. You will
be given a firm deadline in which to submit the required information. It is important
to ensure that you have submitted a complete and accurate application by the deadline.
If the information is not submitted by the deadline, the application and supporting
documents may be returned with instructions to re-submit a complete application.
Any re-submissions of applications will be treated as new and are processed in the
order received. Please note, it is an offence to knowingly provide false information
on any material related to the registration of your private career training institution.
Registration of the Institution and Programs
Once your application has been successfully approved and all fees have been paid,
a registration certificate will be mailed to you bearing your institution number
assigned by the Agency. It is a requirement that this registration certificate be
posted in a prominent place at your institution in an area viewable by the public.
Upon successful registration, your institution's name and list of programs will
become available on the Agency's website, along with other details such as your
operating addresses, program tuition fees, other program fees, program admission
requirements, minimum instructor qualifications, and other information as determined
by the Agency.
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Student Training
Completion Fund (STCF)
Students attending registered private career training institutions in British Columbia
have their tuition protected by the Student Training Completion Fund (STCF). The
STCF provides tuition trainout funding in the case of the closure of a private career
training institution. The STCF also provides tuition protection to students
that paid tuition fees to a registered institution that, in the opinion of the PCTIA
Board, has misled a student. In some cases, contribution to the STCF is not required
by an institution and students may not make claim against the STCF.
In order to be registered, an institution must provide the Agency with an initial
contribution to the Student Training Completion Fund. After being registered, the
institution must remit to the STCF, 1% of the tuition it receives each month, by
the15th of the following month. The Agency provides a telephone banking service
to facilitate payments into the STCF.
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