Career Colleges

In Saskatchewan, private vocational schools are regulated under the authority of:

• The Private Vocational Schools Regulation Act, 1995;
• The Private Vocational Schools Regulations, 2022; and
• The Post-Secondary Education and Skills Training Act.

Organizations are required to register as a private vocational school with the Ministry of Advanced Education if they offer training programs in Saskatchewan that:

• Lead to employment in a vocation;
• Comprise more than 50 hours of instruction; and,
• Charge tuition of more than $1,000.

Schools exempt from registration include:

1. A university, a regional college governed by The Regional Colleges Act and Saskatchewan Polytechnic;
2. A school governed by The Education Act, by any other act or by any act of the Parliament of Canada;
3. A school operated by a professional organization, where the training or instruction is part of professional requirements or is part of professional development;
4. A school is operated or provided by an employer or group of employers for employees or an employer association;
5. A school operated by an employee association for members of the employee association; and,
6. A school or institution that:
   • Does not have a physical presence in Saskatchewan;
   • Is an educational institution located outside Saskatchewan and provides distance or online education to Saskatchewan residents;
   • Only delivers online, correspondence, or home study courses or programs;
   • Only delivers courses or programs that are entirely funded by a sponsor;
   • A school that only offers education in the following exempt vocations:
     • 31303 (physicians, midwives, and allied health professionals)
     • 32101 (licensed practical nurses)
     • 32200 (traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and acupuncturists)
     • 32209 (other practitioners of natural healing, except manual osteopathy)
     • 41302 (religious leaders)
     • 42204 (religion workers)
     • 55109 (other performers)
     • 65229 (other support occupations in personal service)
     • 72600 (air pilots, flight engineers and flying instructors)

Registering a Private Vocational School and Program(s) in Saskatchewan

A private vocational school delivers vocational training to fee-paying students. In some cases, they also offer training to both fee paying students and students whose tuition is paid for by a sponsor agency (e.g., Workers’ Compensation Board, First Nations Band, Provincial or Federal Government). If sponsored students make up the entirety of students enrolled at a school, the school is exempt from registration.

Programs offered by private vocational schools must include more than 50 hours of instruction and have a tuition fee of more than $1,000.

Registering a new private vocational school and program(s) occurs in four phases. For complete details on the registration process, please review the Private Vocational Schools Administration and Policy Manual.

To become a private vocational school and offer vocational program(s) in Saskatchewan, the Expression of Interest Form must be submitted to the Ministry of Advanced Education at pvsinquiry@gov.sk.ca.

Once the Expression of Interest Form is received, the ministry will review the information and determine if the school/program(s) qualify for registration pursuant to The Private Vocational Schools Regulation Act and its regulations. The applicant will be advised of next steps, if applicable, in the registration process. Note: details about the entire application process can be found in the Private Vocational Schools Administration and Policy Manual.

If your private vocational school is already registered in Saskatchewan and you wish to register a new program with the Ministry of Advanced Education, submit a New Program Application with its associated forms to pvsinquiry@gov.sk.ca.

Once a student has identified a school of interest, they are encouraged to make arrangements to visit those schools to gather more information. Schools are required to post, in a prominent location, their Certificate of Registration which lists the school's approved programs. Ask to see the certificate and list of registered programs.

Students are encouraged to conduct their own due diligence on the schools and programs in which they are interested. Be cautious about enrolling in a school that is not registered with the Ministry of Advanced Education, unless the school is exempt from registration (see exemptions). Please be advised that programs offered by private vocational schools (career colleges) outside of Saskatchewan may not be recognized by relevant employers located in Saskatchewan.

If you are uncertain about whether the school, or the program you are considering is properly registered, contact the Ministry of Advanced Education to ask for assistance.

Student Enrolment Contract Requirements

After you have selected a private vocational school and have been accepted into a program, you will be asked to sign a student enrolment contract. The contract should contain the following items:

1. The name and address of the school.
2. The name of the program.
3. The start and end dates of the program.
4. Length of program [distinguish face-to-face (onsite), online, and mandatory practicum hours per day, days per week, number of weeks.]
5. The total program and material costs.
6. The payment schedule if paying by instalments
7. Reference to the tuition refund regulations (see below).
8. Program curriculum including a list of courses in the program of study and the duration of each course.
9. The date the contract is entered into.
10. The name, mailing address and signature of the student or guardian.
11. The signature of a school official.

If the student is under 18, the signature of the person who will be responsible for tuition payments must be included.

Once you have signed the contract, the school must give you an original fully executed, signed contract (not a copy) and maintain a copy for their records. Keep your copy in a safe place. The contract is a legally binding agreement between you and the school.

As a student, it is your responsibility to ensure you understand the full cost and fee structure for your chosen program. Fees may include a registration fee (non-refundable), tuition, learning resources (textbooks, materials, kit, equipment) and other fees (field trips, membership fees, etc.).

If you decide to cancel your contract and provide notice of your intention to cancel prior to the start of your program, the school must refund all tuition fees you have paid and the costs of any learning resources you have paid but did not yet receive. Once you commence your program you may still cancel your contract, but the refund amount will vary depending on the program hours the school has made available to you since the start of the program.

If you decide to withdraw from your program after it has begun, you should immediately give the school written notice of your intention to withdraw.

Once you have given notice of your intention to withdraw, the school must refund a proportion of the tuition you have paid according to the following guidelines.

If you have a student loan, refunds are applied directly to your student loan account.

Important Note About Absence

If you are absent from a program for 21 consecutive calendar days, you are deemed to have discontinued the course or program. The operator of the school will provide written notice to inform you of the refund you may be owed based on the guidelines above. However, during the time of your absence, you are still considered to be enrolled in the program, and the amount of refund you receive may be significantly reduced, even to zero.

Upon successful completion of a program, and after all fees owing to the school has been paid, you are entitled to immediately receive a certificate or diploma that signifies your successful completion of the program.

You are also entitled to receive a copy of your transcript of marks showing your successful completion of the program. To request a copy of your transcript or certificate, please contact the school directly. If the school has changed ownership and/or names, please contact the school directly.

If you need to request a transcript, diploma or certificate from a private vocational school that has closed, complete the Transcript-Diploma-Certificate Request Form and submit it to:

Ministry of Advanced Education
Email: pvsinquiry@gov.sk.ca

All private vocational schools are required to have an established procedure for resolving disputes. This procedure must specify how you should raise a concern, which school official you should submit the complaint to and how your concern will be handled.

If you have a complaint, try to resolve it with the school by following the established procedures. If you are unable to reach a satisfactory resolution, you can contact the Ministry of Advanced Education, Private Vocational Schools unit at pvsinquiry@gov.sk.ca.

The ministry will ask you to submit, in writing, the important details of your complaint with the school by using the Student Complaint Form. The ministry will review your submission and if it is determined that your complaint demonstrates that the school may be in non-compliance with legislative requirements, ministry staff will work with the school to address the matter.