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Originally Posted by poserpunk765
Vito, How does that work? Do you go to school on your dime and then get reimbursed when CFI hires you? or do they approve the school and give a pre hire before you start...or something along those lines?
Some of the people at the other site mentioned above would probably have better answers regarding the Central Tech and Crowder classes, but here's my general understanding:
The courses, if you were to walk in off the street, would cost something along the lines of $5,000 including room and board. If you are pre-approved, pre-hired, or whatever the terminology is, you get the course for the $1,000 along with a guaranteed job upon completion. It has been my understanding that the $1,000 is the only money shelled out by the student for the course. Room and board may be on top of that though. I'm sure some other members can clarify this point.
Where it appears to be different from the way other companies operate is that if you don't like working for CFI you can walk away. You don't owe any money to them. No money is withheld from your paychecks while you work for them and there are no negative repercussions (other than maybe looking like a job-hopper) if you choose to leave. The other companies will "give" you the training, but you gradually repay it over your first 6 to 24 months, depending on the company. If you choose to quit while you're in their 'indentured' status, you owe them.
This sort of thing was why I chose to just foot the bill myself when I was starting. I had no desire to be tied to any company, mainly because the reading you do on sites like this one will convince you not to trust anyone. About a month or two after I started at CFI I started hearing people talk about their new subsidized CDL program. If only I had known... But hey, the other three grand won't make or break me. The people who have come through the program have almost unanimously said that it was a great experience. Some find that life at CFI, or often just life on the road in general, doesn't suit them, but they still have a CDL license with which they can do whatever kind of driving they choose.