FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

Must I be a resident of Bethlehem in order to take classes at BAVTS?

Must I be a high school graduate or have a GED to take courses at BAVTS?

Not unless you are pursuing any of the NHA medical certifications. Some high school is required for Cosmetology training. Beyond that, you do not need a diploma or GED to take most of our courses. However, potential employers will often look for that. We always encourage students to complete their GED before taking classes with us simply because doing so greatly enhances employability.

Do you offer any financial aid?

Most of our courses do not qualify for federal or state student loans due to their short duration (under 300 hours).
We do, however, offer interest-free payment plans for students enrolled in qualifying programs. For more information about payment plans, click here.
WIA, TRA/TAA, OVR students are welcome. Please contact Sandra Klein at (610) 866-8013, ext. 111 if you would like more information about our WIA, TRA/TAA, and OVR approved programs.
BAVTS Bridges Foundation scholarship funds are available for qualified BAVTS High School Seniors. Qualifying students will have their tuition waived for Continuing Education courses that offer training and certification. This is a valuable opportunity for those students who are interested in upgrading their skills and/or earning industry certification related to their vocational-technical field of study.
- High School Seniors and families can contact Sandra Klein at (610) 866-8013, ext. 111. for more information.

Do you offer job placement services?

While we do not place students directly in jobs, we do offer career counseling, resume assistance, agency funding information, and local job listings.

Why do you have some courses without dates?

Sometimes a very important or especially valuable class doesn't have the necessary enrollment in order to run. This is always inconvenient for the students as well as the instructor, who set aside time from their busy schedule. Rather than remove the class from the catalog or continue to postpone it, we will list the class without dates. This allows us to keep the class listed, while gathering the contact information of those people interested in taking it. When there are enough people on the list, we'll contact the instructor and schedule the class.

Do you really need my Social Security Number? What's it used for anyway?

The Continuing Education Department collects and uses student social security numbers as part of the registration process. This information is used to create a SecureID number for the student which is totally unique (even if two or more students have the exact same names). These numbers are used in various state and federal training reimbursement programs (this supplemental funding helps us keep costs down).
Social Security numbers are also used by various state funding agencies, such as CareerLink and OVR (Office of Vocational Rehabilitation).
Social Security numbers are kept confidential by BAVTS and the various state agencies that use them.

I received a certificate when I finished a course and noticed that I was awarded a number of CEUs. What's a CEU?

CEU stands for Continuing Education Unit. CEUs are awarded at the rate of one (1) CEU for every ten (10) hours of classroom instruction. For example, a 36-hour course would be worth 3.6 CEUs. When you successfully complete one of our courses, you will receive a Certificate of Completion which will list the CEUs awarded. CEUs are not college credits and are generally not transferrable to other schools.

Why do students on payment plans not get their Certificates of Completion when they finish a particular class?

Students in this situation are usually those who are on a payment plan and are enrolled in multiple classes or a specific sequence of classes. In such cases, the Certificates of Completion are tangible proof of having successfully completed a particular class. When the payment plan is paid in full, all certificates are released to the student.
In the event that a student finds himself/herself applying for employment prior to finalizing payment. Upon the students request, BAVTS is happy to fax or release a copy of the Certification of Completion directly to the prospective employer as proof of completion. However, we must still retain the originals until payment is satisfied.