Great Lakes Boat Building School

Consumer Information

Consumer Information

Federal regulation requires Great Lakes Boat Building School to provide consumer information to all of our current and prospective students.  Each topic below gives a brief description of the information and explains how it can be obtained.

If you need assistance or would like a paper copy of all or parts of the Consumer Information, the Operations Office staff is available on a full-time basis and their contact information may be found here. 

1. ACADEMIC PROGRAMS

Great Lakes Boat Building School offers two post-secondary programs. A description of the Comprehensive Career Boat Building Program is available here. A description of the Marine Service Technology Program is available here.

2. ACADEMIC PROGRAM IMPROVEMENT PLANS

Great Lakes Boat Building School’s Program Advisory Board (PAB) is comprised of individuals from across the marine industry and education spectrum. The PAB’s focus is on planning, developing, implementing, and evaluating programs. GLBBS relies on their input, feedback, new ideas, and multiple perspectives to ensure GLBBS Career Courses relate to present and future employment needs in the marine industry. The full PAB meets twice annually, and subcommitee meetings are scheduled as needed.

3. ACCESSIBILITY SERVICES

Great Lakes Boat Building School is committed to providing a welcoming and inclusive  environment for people of all abilities. Our Operations Office is committed to helping students with disabilities participate as fully as possible in our programs, services and activities. Our full Statement on Accessibility Services is available here.

4. ACCREDITATION, APPROVAL, AND LICENSURE OF INSTITUTION AND PROGRAMS

Great Lakes Boat Building School is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC), 2101 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 302, Arlington, VA 22201. The ACCSC is an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Great Lakes Boat Building School is approved by the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs as a post-secondary proprietary school, www.lara.michigan.gov.

These documents may be reviewed upon request by contacting the Operations Office.

5. ARTICULATION AGREEMENTS

Great Lakes Boat Building School has an articulation agreement with North Central Michigan College. GLBBS students who complete the Comprehensive Boat Building program or the Marine Services Technology program could enter NCMC with up to 39 credits toward an Associate of General Studies degree.  The credits will satisfy the elective portion of the degree, which accounts for more than half of the required credits. The articulation agreement may be viewed here. If you are interested in pursuing this program, please call 231-348-6605 to connect with an NCMC academic advisor.

6. CONSTITUTION DAY

Constitution Day be held on September 17 of each year, commemorating the September 17, 1787 signing of the Constitution. When September 17 falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or holiday, Constitution Day shall be held during the preceding or following week. Great Lakes Boat Building School will offer educational programs to students for Constitution Day which may include either: guest speaker presentation, information dissemination via hardcopy or email, constitution reading to the students, video presentations etc.  View these websites for more information:

7. COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT AND PEER-TO-PEER FILE SHARING POLICY

Great Lakes Boat Building School’s full copyright infringement and peer-to-peer file sharing policies, including disciplinary actions that are taken against students who engage in illegal downloading or unauthorized distribution of copyrighted materials using the school’s information technology system, are located here. The information includes a notice that unauthorized distribution of copyrighted material, including peer-to-peer file sharing, may subject a student to civil and criminal liabilities. The information also includes a summary of the penalties for violation of Federal copyright laws.

8. COST OF ATTENDANCE

The Cost of Attendance is reviewed annually, and includes tuition, fees, tools, books, and projected living/personal expenses, based on a 12-month, three semester program. This is the best cost estimate for a student to participate in the Comprehensive Career Boat Building Program or the Marine Service Technology Program. View the Cost of Attendance here.

9. COURSE MATERIALS

The list of required tools and books for the Comprehensive Career Boat Building program is available here.

The list of required tools and books for the Marine Service Technology program is available here.

10. DRUG-FREE AND ALCOHOL-FREE CAMPUS AND WORKPLACE POLICY

The Great Lakes Boat Building School policy on alcohol and drug use, as well as information regarding health risks, laws and penalties, prevention strategies, and education and counseling resources, is available here.

11. FINANCIAL AID 

Financial Aid information is available here and includes information about the following: need-based and non-need-based federal, state, local, private, and institutional financial assistance programs available to students; eligibility requirements and procedures for applying for aid; criteria for selecting recipients and determining amount of award; methods and frequency of disbursements of aid; financial aid terms and conditions, including terms applicable to employment provided as part of a financial aid package; rights and responsibilities of students receiving Title IV, HEA loans; how financial aid is handled when students withdraw; and whom to contact for questions regarding financial aid.

12. GRADUATION RATES 

Information regarding graduation rates of certificate- or degree-seeking, first-time, full-time students is available here and at the IPEDS Data Center.

13. INSTRUCTIONAL STAFF 

A list of Great Lakes Boat Building School faculty and instructional staff is available here.

14. INSTRUCTIONAL FACILITIES

Great Lakes Boat Building School facilities include traditional classrooms, workshop spaces dedicated to wooden boat building and to engine and marine systems, and administrative offices. Specific resources in the facility are described here.

15. NET PRICE CALCULATOR

The Net Price Calculator is intended to provide net price information to current and prospective students based on what similar students paid in a prior year. The Net Price is defined as the estimated Cost of Attendance minus estimated grant and scholarship aid. View the Net Price Calculator here.

16. PLACEMENT RATE

The Great Lakes Boat Building School is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC), an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. The 2024 ACCSC graduation and employment report is available here. Employment rates are based on the number of graduates who are employed in jobs related to the specific skills, knowledge, and competencies gained through their training in the Marine Service Technology or Comprehensive Career Boat Building programs.

17. REFUND POLICY AND CANCELLATION POLICY

Great Lakes Boat Building School’s Refund Policy is available here. The Cancellation Policy is available here.

18. RETENTION RATE

Information regarding retention rate of certificate- or degree-seeking, first-time, full-time students is available at the IPEDS Data Center. Please note that retention rate is defined as the percentage of first-time degree/certificate-seeking students from the previous fall who either re-enrolled or successfully completed their program by the current fall. GLBBS programs are one year in length, so the retention rate is effectively the same as the graduation rate of first-time, full-time students.

19. SECURITY REPORT

Federal regulation requires an institution to compile an Annual Security Report disclosing the institution’s security policies, procedures, and crime statistics on or before October 1 each year. Current students and employees will receive a copy of the annual report by email each October when the updated version has been completed. Prospective students are notified of this information at orientation. Students may request a copy of this report at any time from the Director of Education. The Annual Security Report is available here.

20. STUDENT BODY DIVERSITY

The size and mix of the school’s student body enables students to be successful at many different levels from high school graduates to second-career seekers and veterans. Students are diverse in background, coming from both near and far. In addition, the student body includes both experienced and not-so-experienced craftsman or technicians, individuals who have advanced degrees and those with no degree, all of whom find a way to meld together and do great work under the guidance of the instructors and staff.

Information about student body diversity, including the percentage of enrolled students by gender and race/ethnicity, and the percentage of students who received a Federal Pell Grant, is available here.

21. STUDENT COMPLAINT INFORMATION

Schools accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges must have a procedure and operational plan for handling student complaints. If a student does not feel that the school has adequately addressed a complaint or concern, the student may consider contacting the Accrediting Commission. All complaints reviewed by the Commission must be in written form and should grant permission for the Commission to forward a copy of the complaint to the school for a response. This can be accomplished by filing the ACCSC Complaint Form. The complainant(s) will be kept informed as to the status of the complaint as well as the final resolution by the Commission. Please direct all inquiries to:

Accrediting Commission of Career Schools & Colleges
2101 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 302 Arlington, VA 22201
(703) 247-4212
www.accsc.org | complaints@accsc.org

A copy of the ACCSC Complaint Form is available at the school and may be obtained by contacting complaints@accsc.org or at https://www.accsc.org/Student-Corner/Complaints.aspx.

A student may also mail a complaint to:

Employment and Training, Postsecondary Schools and State Approving
Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity
PO Box 30805
Lansing, MI 48933

22. TRANSFER CREDIT

Credits from other institutions are not typically transferred into GLBBS, as the required coursework is specific to the unique programs at the school. However, if transfer credit is approved, it will be counted toward the program completion rate. Transfer credits that count towards the student’s current program must be counted as both attempted and completed hours for calculating Title IV, HEA [150%] eligibility. This includes all hours or credit hours attempted at any other institution whether or not the student received Title IV federal aid.

23. VACCINATIONS

Great Lakes Boat Building School recommendations regarding vaccines are available here.

24. VOTER REGISTRATION

Great Lakes Boat Building School promotes responsible citizenship through voting in local, state, and federal elections as part of becoming productive citizens in today’s global society. Michigan Voter Registration Applications are available in the Operations Office and are distributed annually during New Student Orientation. Students may also visit the State of Michigan website to fill out an online voter registration form or request an absentee ballot.

25. WITHDRAWAL AND RETURN TO TITLE IV POLICY

Title IV funds are awarded under the assumption that a student will attend the institution for the entire period in which federal assistance was awarded. When a student ceases attendance from all courses, for any reason, they may no longer be eligible for the full amount of Title IV funds that they were originally scheduled to receive or did receive. Federal regulations require that an institution perform a calculation for students who cease attendance to determine if Title IV funds should be returned to the U.S. Department of Education. The full policy is available here.