Guide for career and trade schools
What to put in a trade school enrollment agreement
A checklist of what most enrollment agreements cover, and how to get them signed without paper.
The checklist
School and student details
Your school's legal name and address, and the student's full name and contact details.
Program details
The program name, the total clock hours, the start date and the expected completion date, and the schedule (day, evening or weekend).
Total cost, itemized
Tuition, registration or application fees, books, kits and supplies listed separately, with the total.
Payment terms
Pay in full, installments or a deposit, with due dates and amounts, and who pays if a sponsor or workforce board is covering the cost.
Cancellation and refund policy
How a student cancels and what is refunded at each point. Most states set minimum refund rules for licensed schools, so use your state's required wording.
Attendance and progress policies
What counts as attendance, how missed hours are made up, and what satisfactory progress means.
Grievance procedure
How a student raises a complaint, including your state agency's contact details where required.
Signatures and dates
The student signs, and the school countersigns. Give the student a copy of the signed agreement.
This checklist is general information, not legal advice. Required contents vary by state and accreditor, so check your state agency's rules before using any agreement.
Getting it signed
With Completra, the enrollment agreement is sent for e-signature as part of enrollment, the student picks how to pay at the same time, and the signed copy stays on their record. For sponsored students you can email the sponsor the signed agreement with their invoice.
See how it works for your program
These are examples. Completra works for any trade or vocational school, whatever you teach, one program or many.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
- Can students pay on a payment plan?
- Yes, by CSV.
- Can a sponsor or workforce board pay for a student?
- Yes. Sponsored students apply with no application fee, and you can email the sponsor an invoice and the signed enrollment agreement.
Behind every completion is Completra.
Completra works for any trade or vocational school, whatever you teach, one program or many. See it running in a 24-minute demo, or start a 21-day free trial.