Private Vocational Schools

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

Students are also 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 at pvsinquiry@gov.sk.ca 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 provide 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 Dispute Resolution Policy registered with the Ministry of Advanced Education. This policy must be widely available to students (e.g., in the student handbook, on the school website, or attached to or included in the student enrolment contract).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.