How soon can I start school after I get into the US?

[SweetheartSarah 3]

Once approved my fiancé and I will be moving to Colorado or California [he is a Coloradan], and I am looking into attending culinary school in either state. I was wondering how soon after entering the US can I attend school of the sort?

Most of the schools I'm looking at are private, if it makes a difference.

Thanks!

[Inky 1,110]

You have to check with the state and the school. Start doing your research now.

Most schools in my state require you to have a green card and live in the state for 1 year to pay resident fees instead of non-resident fees.

[Gosia & Tito 199]

Once approved my fiancé and I will be moving to Colorado or California [he is a Coloradan], and I am looking into attending culinary school in either state. I was wondering how soon after entering the US can I attend school of the sort?

Most of the schools I'm looking at are private, if it makes a difference.

Thanks!

You would need to account for the scheduled terms (sememsters). They just don't start whenever but at given times of the year. Normally they will want to see a visa and/or some other documentation of being authorized to be here. I'd think the EAD would do the trick.

In Denver BTW, there are a couple ones: CIA-Culinary Institute of America, by I-25 and Santa Fe in Denver; and there is also a university : Johnson ANd Wales U, also in Denver; which is quite good I've heard. The company I worked while I lived there was funding schoolarships.

Good luck

[Mononoke28 134]

My husband attended school in Colorado and you need to have at least your green card to attend and to avoid non-resident fees which are dramatically higher than those for residents. So as others have said, call the schools you're interested in and ask them exactly what they need from you and if they'll be charging you non-resident fees. My husband started school four months after he arrived and only had to pay resident fees because of his green card.

Diana

[EminTX 131]

I agree that the fees are the killer. A dear friend took some classes here in Houston that would have cost me 500-600, but for him it was well over 2000. Not cool. Not cool at all.

He paid it. I told him that he was idiot. He has lived between his country and the US for the last 2 years and should have claimed it but he said that since he gets his credit card uses his Spain address, he would be "honest". Ggggrrr.. Now he doesn't have enough money to continue with his classes.

When figuring the fees, please consider that typically, if you were a student with out-of-area fees, those fees will stick as long as you are in classes. Example--when I was in school, we had 2 students from Colorado. Even though they were there for more than 3 years, they still paid high fees because the classification wouldn't be changed unless they did not take classes for 2 years while maintaining residency in that town. Their educations cost 4-5x as much as mine.

Please, please, please--when considering your professional training, look at the job market, too. If there are busloads of places where you can get your training and there are no listings for jobs anywhere...that is a problem in my profession right now. Lots of TV-advertising "schools" are pumping out students right at left at for outrageous fees that don't have a chance of getting jobs. It's very frustrating and sad.

[Brother Hesekiel 2,235]

Little heads up: you will earn about $14,000 annually, once completed culinary school, if, and only if you find a job.

[SweetheartSarah 3]

Little heads up: you will earn about $14,000 annually, once completed culinary school, if, and only if you find a job.

I think that highly depends on what I decide to do with my degree, and you're assuming I'll settle for a second rate restaurant job, which isn't the case.