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Extensions

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I have heard that some students have been complaining about extension fees.  We would like to point out that all students are given a didactic and an overall course deadline in the initial course access email sent upon final enrollment.  Those dates are there to make sure you stay on track and complete ON TIME or before.  If you are enrolled in EMT, you have no more than 6 momths to complet through all rotations.  If you are taking AEMT, the total overall deadline by which you are to be complete through all rotations is 9 months. If you are taking Paramedic 20 months overall.  For EMS Instructor, 90 days.  For all levels except EMS Instructor, you have an associated didactic deadline by which you are to be complete through final exam.  If you exceed that deadline, it affects your ability to meet your overall course deadline.

We have an extension policy that allows you to request extensions for either didactic, overall or both deadlines.  We give free extensions (usually one time) to students who request the extension by an email to the Program Director BEFORE the deadline.  We are less likely to grant free extensions when we have to “chase you” with warnings.  A student exceeding deadlines without talking to the Program Director by email (so there is written documentation) creates extra work for our staff.  The responsibility to address issues BEFORE they are an issue is with the student.  We also do not give as many free extensions when you request over and over.

Our tuition rates are some of the lowest in the state of Texas and across the country except for some individual courses that are funded by grants and other funding sources specific to that course.  But that also means that our tution is structured as very low profit and is designed to only cover the number of months maximum (your overall deadline) and the set number of skills sessions in your course schedule.  Anything over those deadlines and numbers costs the school extra; we continue to pay out fees monthly on your behalf for you to remain in our program for our service providers.  So once you exceed your overall deadline, you have exceeded what your tuition was designed to pay for and you start costing PERCOM money over and above what you have paid.  This is one primary reason we charge extension fees if you are going to go over time.

Another primary reason for extension fees is to curb students who breach deadlines and go over their maximum course deadlines, thereby impacting us on our state and national reporting for retention/attrition. Current standards require that we report anyone who does not complete by the overall deadine as “attition” even though they are still working in the program toward completion.  This is very concerning for us and causes a negative impact on our program.

Please understand that your need for more time is important to us.  We do understand.  But that doesn’t mean that you have an indefinite time to complete the phases of the program and doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t charge you to reimburse our costs.  We do try to help wherever we can WHEN you communicte with us. Communication is key and trying to stay on track is extremely important.  Thank you.