FAQs About Online Certificate Programs in IT

Common questions about our online IT courses that can be completed on-demand with personal facilitation

Advisors are available to answer any questions you may have.

Please see below for our frequently asked questions.

Enrollment

What is the minimum age to attend?

Students need to be a minimum age of 18 to attend our courses. These classes are fast-paced, intensive courses targeted at adults with work and life experience. We typically cover in one 90 hour course what is covered in a full college semester class.

How do I start the enrollment process?

To begin your enrollment, simply call 302.335.8868 to speak with an advisor who will help you identify the program that’s best for you. Alternatively, you can also fill out an application form here. Once we receive your form one of our Registrars will call you to confirm the program that suits your needs. You’ll then be able to choose among payment options, including financing that is available for multi-course certificate programs.

Course Delivery

What is the class format?

Bright Star programs combine video, hands-on lab exercises and one-on-one facilitation to enable you to learn as your schedule allows. Our classes are designed to be a combination of lecture and comprehensive problem solving labs. Courses are broken into modules, the video portion of which is usually around 45 minutes, followed by hands-on exercises for that module. The exercises are designed to augment and test your understanding at the same time; if you need assistance or answers to questions, your personal facilitator will correspond or work with you directly as necessary. This allows completion of a course in a couple of calendar weeks simply by completing one or two modules a day, about the time it would take to watch a movie on TV.

What course materials are included?

In addition to course video access, all courses include an accompanying student guide and a lab guide. You will receive accompanying courseware as your streaming coordinator initiates each course for you.

How much experience do your instructors have?

Our instructors have at minimum, 10 years of experience delivering IT training along with real-word experience in their respective fields. Our instructors understand the challenges you will face in your career and have first-hand knowledge of the skills you need to succeed.

How much experience do your lab facilitators have?

Lab facilitation is performed by instructors who have classroom experience teaching the content that the student is learning. We don’t use “teaching assistants” who are not actual instructors.

What types of projects do students build?

After each video module, students perform hands-on lab exercises that illustrate the key concepts learned. Successful completion of these labs demonstrates to the instructor that students understand the information that's been covered. Some labs are project oriented and take the student through a process of creating a complex application, while others illustrate various applications for the material being taught.

How do I perform the lab exercises?

Labs are performed via remote access to a dedicated lab machine. (Students can, in certain cases, use their own equipment if they prefer by mutual agreement.)  We don’t use virtual machines, and there’s no machine sharing. This allows your facilitator to work with you directly on your machine as required.

When can I begin a course?

Courses start every Monday, with the exception of weeks that have observed holidays which occur on a Monday.  For exception weeks, courses will start on Tuesday and will be extended into the following week. For a complete list of observed holidays, please see the Operating Calendar section.

Financial

Do you offer financing?

We offer multiple low-interest financing options. Call us at 302.335.8868 to discuss available financing options.

When do I need to pay for tuition?

Payment is due prior to starting your first course. For multi-course certificate programs you may either pay in full for all courses, or you may elect to pay-as-you-go for each course individually before the start of each course. Financing options are also available. There are no registration fees or cancellation fees.

What is your refund policy?

If a student wishes to withdraw from a program or course, the student must notify the school in writing and mail or e-mail the letter to the school. A student is eligible for a full refund if they withdraw prior to class start. Once the student starts class, the refund of the tuition will be, per course:

  • After 0.001 percent enrollment time to 14.9 percent enrollment time of the course, 100 percent of the tuition will be refunded
  • Between 15 percent to 24.9 percent enrollment time of the course, 55 percent of the tuition will be refunded
  • Between 25 percent to 49.9 percent enrollment time of the course, 30 percent of the tuition will be refunded
  • After 50 percent or more enrollment time of the course, the student may be obligated for the full tuition
What payment methods do you accept?

We accept payment via check, electronic funds transfer (EFT) or credit card.

Do you offer scholarships?

We currently offer tuition scholarships to those making less than $50,000 annually. The scholarship entitles eligible students to a $300 tuition discount per course taken, typically saving 10% - 20% of total tuition fees. This scholarship applies to all Bright Star programs, and a full list of available IT & Developer programs can be viewed here. Please contact us for more information about our scholarships.

Do you have a Veteran Discount?

We offer a 20% discount to Veterans. Please call us at 302.335.8868 or contact us for more information.

Do you guarantee job placement after program completion?

No one can guarantee specific job placements. Our training delivers a hands-on lab experience designed to develop practical and desirable skills to advance your IT or developer skillset so that you can prepare for a career. Our goal is to make sure that you will be competent and productive in a workplace position relevant to your certificate program.

We work closely with each of our students to achieve placement after successful program completion. We are able to provide assistance with resume creation and review, as well as provide strategies for locating employment opportunities after completion of your courses. If you are not placed in a related position within 120 days of completing a program which contained 2 or more courses, we will provide a free additional course at no cost to you, to ensure your skills are marketable so that you can succeed in your job search.

Operating Calendar

When is the Bright Star office open?

The main office of the Institute operates on Eastern time and is open to students by appointment, except on the following holidays:

  • News Year’s Day
  • Memorial Day
  • Independence Day
  • Labor Day
  • Thanksgiving Day
  • Christmas Day

Please note that students have access to course content every day of the year, including holidays, during course enrollment. 

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