Building Construction Technology

4 terms, 63 weeks. 1,260 contact hours (42 credit hours), plus 30 clock hours of outside work.

Class sessions. Classes run year-round, in a morning session from 8:30am to 12:30pm or an evening session from 6:00pm to 10:00pm, Monday through Friday.

Evening distance lectures. Distance education is offered only to evening students: lecture classes that exceed 25 students may be taught live over Zoom through the school’s miapromo.com platform, with a tablet provided to any student who needs one, and all laboratory and practical hours are completed in person.

Trial enrollment. A new student may attend a program for up to three weeks without a financial obligation beyond the application fee before continuing as a regular student.

Attendance. A student below 75% cumulative attendance at the end of a course is placed on three weeks’ probation. Five consecutive unexcused absences end enrollment, and seven absences in a course, excused or not, mean retaking it.

Holidays. The school observes New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day and the Christmas holidays, approximately the last two weeks of December.

Payment schedule. Students who pay the full cost of tuition pay the $150 registration fee plus a first month on or before the start of the program, then seventeen consecutive monthly payments.

Federal financial aid. SFIT offers financial aid, supported by the U.S. Department of Education, for those who qualify: the Federal Pell Grant, the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), the Federal Work-Study Program, and Federal Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans. Apply with the FAFSA using SFIT’s federal school code, 036614.

Veterans. The catalog sets out SFIT’s policies for students using VA education benefits, including Chapter 31 (Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment) and Chapter 33 (Post-9/11 GI Bill®) students whose VA payments are pending.

Cancellation and refunds. All monies are refunded if the school does not accept the applicant or if the student cancels within three business days after signing the enrollment agreement and making the initial payment. Cancellation after the third business day but before the first class refunds all monies paid except the registration fee. After attendance begins, cancellation before 50% of the program brings a refund prorated on the hours completed, and there is no refund after 50%. Cancellation is made in person or by certified mail, refunds are made within 30 days, and Title IV recipients first follow the Return of Title IV Funds policy.

Careers. The program prepares students for employment and advanced training in the building construction industry.

Placement assistance. Students are assisted with placement and given the names and addresses of employment possibilities, employer inquiries are posted on the bulletin board, and on completion the school assists each graduate with job placement; the school does not guarantee employment.

Two campuses. The main school is at 720 NW 27th Avenue, 2nd Floor, in Miami, near downtown, and the additional location at 1275 West 47th Place, Suite 201, in Hialeah. Each occupies about 13,000 square feet under air conditioning, with large classrooms, up-to-date computers, Medical Assistant, Refrigeration and A.C., Electrical, Construction and Plumbing laboratories, a library and a large supervised parking area.

Class sizes. The instructor-to-student ratio does not exceed 1 to 30, the student-to-equipment ratio in the labs is 1 to 1, and no classroom or laboratory holds more than 40 students.

Student services. Advising by appointment, placement assistance, a library with computer terminals, and public transportation nearby; the school does not provide housing.

Language. The catalog notes that completing a course or program in a language other than English may reduce employability where English is required.