Why it costs money to certify
A school cannot simply print a welding certificate or a nursing-assistant license. It has to be approved: by an institutional accreditor, by each industry body (NCCER, AWS, ASE, CompTIA, ServSafe and the rest), by state boards for health and beauty trades, and by the testing networks that proctor the exams. Each approval means fees, a site visit, certified instructors and an equipped lab.
What the money buys
| Line | Range (USD) |
|---|---|
| Institutional accreditation (fees, self-study, consultants) | 40–120k |
| Industry sponsor/assessment center fees (all bodies, yr 1) | 60–150k |
| State board program approvals (health/beauty) | 30–80k |
| Federal (FAA 147, USCG course approvals, FMCSA) | 50–200k (FAA dominates) |
| Testing-center setup (5 networks) | 10–25k |
| Instructor credentialing/training | 80–150k |
| Labs/equipment (excluding aviation, nuclear sim, burn building — partner) | 3–8M |
| Annual renewals/reports | 100–200k/yr |
Order-of-magnitude figures from the certification roadmap. Year one starts with the operating license, accreditor candidacy, the testing networks and NCCER, which alone unlocks twelve programs.
What stays free
Every program's tuition for the first 150 students who sign up by October 31, 2026 (150 seats left): $1,505,539 FREE* of catalog tuition across 89 programs. Exam fees go to the issuing bodies and the tool kit belongs to the student.
Where it goes
VoTechWorks is part of newSchoolWorks.com, run by Urbanicity. Every gift is recorded against the roadmap line it funds, and this page reports what has been raised and what it paid for.
