Kaplan College in Brownsville

Does Kaplan College in Brownsville TX Want You?

For prospective vocational school students, living in Brownsville, Texas is both a blessing and a curse. Two highly respected technical colleges, Kaplan College and the Southern Careers Institute, have campuses in Brownsville. On the one hand, this gives you multiple options, making it easier to find a school that works for you without leaving your hometown. Deciding between two great schools, however, can be a challenge. Neither school is for everyone; to choose one that’s right for you, consider:  

Student Body Size
Kaplan College is one of the nation’s largest private vocational college systems, and is active throughout the United States. It thus has a very large student body, many of whom will be from outside of Texas. On the one hand, this means that Kaplan students have ample opportunities to socialize and network. If you’re a social butterfly, you will thrive at Kaplan College in Brownsville TX. On the other hand, such a large student body can be daunting for many students, especially since it translates into large class sizes.

You will have to compete for your instructors’ attention and may thus have trouble participating in class or receiving after-hours help. By contrast, the Southern Careers Institute is a relatively small school system that operates entirely in Texas. Though some students come from other states, a large portion of the student body at each campus is from the surrounding area. As a student at the Brownsville campus, you’ll have no trouble finding friends with similar life experiences and backgrounds, and you will never feel overwhelmed by too many students. Class sizes are small, making it easy to stay engaged and communicate with professors. If you’re worried that the small student body will make networking a challenge, don’t be. The school has a myriad of employer contacts and internship opportunities, making it easy to get in contact with businesses and resources.  

Subject Selection
At Kaplan College in Brownsville TX, you can earn diplomas in four subjects: medical office assistance, Heating, Ventilation, Air Condition, and Refrigeration (HVAC) tech, medical assistance and computer support. Additionally, the school offers an associate’s degree program in Medical Practice Management as well as continuing education courses for nursing assistants. Diploma programs are less limited at the Southern Careers Institute, where students can choose to train for any of the following jobs: administrative assistance, computer support, cosmetology, business accounting, medical assistance, medical office assistance, and medical billing and coding. Unlike Kaplan College, however, the Institute does not offer associate’s or continuing education programs.  

Financial Aid
Both schools are committed to making sure that all students can afford to attend. The Southern Careers Institute accepts a wide range of Federal, state, and private scholarships and loans. These include William D. Ford Federal Direct Loans, Federal Pell Grants, and Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grants. The Institute also accepts US military education benefits, and has been state certified to train veterans. Likewise, Kaplan College in Brownsville TX accepts Federal PLUS Loans, Stafford Loans (both subsidized and unsubsidized), the Federal Work Study Program, Pell Grants, and Academic Competitiveness Grants. It also provides Academic Assistance grants, worth between $1,000 and $4,000, to high-achieving students who demonstrate financial need.   The Southern Careers Institute and Kaplan College are both promising schools, but don’t think you have to stay in Brownsville to get an education. Texas is full of affordable, high-quality colleges and vocational schools. Take them all into account before making a decision.

For more information, contact the Southern Careers Institute today.