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Trades & Certificates

Alternatives to College

Bootstraps

Bootstraps Trades/CTE Applications are still open. Get more information. 

Bootstraps scholarships and interest-free loans can be used to attend community college, trade schools, vocational, and certification programs. We look forward to meeting all of the promising students from the class of 2025. If you plan to apply, you MUST complete the FAFSA first.

Works Foundation Scholarship for Trades

Mike Rowe's Works Foundation Scholarships for Trades

Today, the skills gap is wider than it’s ever been. The cost of college tuition has soared faster than the cost of food, energy, real estate and health care. Student loan debt is the second highest consumer debt category in the United States with more than 44 million borrowers who collectively owe more than $1.5 trillion. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are more than 7 million jobs available across the country, the majority of which don’t require a four-year degree. We’re on a mission to help close the skills gap by challenging the stigmas and stereotypes that discourage people from pursuing the millions of available jobs. We want people to understand the impact of skilled labor on their lives, and we’re convinced that the solution has to start with a new appreciation for hard work.

Each year, we give away a modest pile of money through the Work Ethic Scholarship Program to help people get trained for skilled jobs that are in demand. We’ve proven that opportunities in the trades aren’t alternatives to viable careers – they are viable careers. Through this program, we encourage people to learn a useful skill, and we reward those who demonstrate that they’ll work their butts off. When it comes to hard work, there is no alternative. Since our inception, we’ve granted, or helped facilitate the granting of, more than $5 million in Work Ethic scholarships and other like-minded programs or initiatives that also work to close the skills gap.

Vocational schools

Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Information vocational and trade schools

“Vocational schools and correspondence schools train students for a variety of skilled jobs, including jobs as automotive technicians, medical assistants, hair stylists, interior designers, electronics technicians, paralegals, and truck drivers. Some schools also help students identify prospective employers and apply for jobs.

While many of these schools are reputable and teach the skills necessary to get a good job, others may not be. They may promise more than they can deliver to increase enrollment — and their bottom line."

They may mislead prospective students about:

  • The salary potential of jobs in certain fields
  • The availability of jobs
  • The extent of their job training programs
  • The qualifications of their staff
  • The nature of their facilities and equipment
  • Their connections to businesses and industries”

Before you commit to a program, visit the school and answer these questions:

  • Are the facilities up-to-date? Is the equipment the same as used in the industry?
  • What does the school provide? Are there supplies and tools you must buy?
  • Who are the instructors? What are their qualifications?
  • How big are the classes? Sit in on a class and observe how students are engaged.
  • What is their completion rate? What percentage of students complete the program?
  • Is the school licensed and/or accredited? Licensing is handled by state agencies; accreditation is achieved through a private education agency or association. Search online to see if a school is accredited by a legitimate organization. Two reliable sources are:
  • Do they help you find a job? How many graduates find jobs in their chosen field? What is the average starting salary?
  • Debt on graduation - of recent graduates who borrowed money to attend this school, what percentage are delinquent in paying back those loans?
  • Can you get a list of recent graduates to ask about their experiences with the school?
  • What is the total cost?
  • Does the school get many complaints? Check with the Attorney General’s office in Colorado and the Colorado Department of Education to see whether a lot of complaints have been filed against the school.
  • Review the contract and understand what you’re signing up for.
  • Ask whether you can apply for a federal government loan; it may have better terms — find out more at www.studentaid.gov.
  • Know:
    • how much you are borrowing, and what the interest rate is?
    • when repayment begins?
    • how much each payment will be?
    • how long you have to repay the loan?

Denver-area vocational schools

Other resources