PAYING FOR CAPTAIN’S CLASSES

Funding Options with Explorer’s Guide Maritime Academy

Obtaining your initial captain’s license or upgrade can be pricey. First there’s the cost of the training itself, then there’s the other items you need to acquire and pay for, as required by the USCG for your license – such as application fee, TWIC card, physical, drug testing, and first aid/cpr training.

Explorer’s Guide Maritime Academy tries to keep your costs under control. Our classes are priced very competitively compared to many other schools. Instruction, books, supplies, and final exams are all included in the tuition cost. Payment is usually done with a credit or debit card, PayPal, check, or (in some cases) cash. We can’t do anything about the add-on charges for application fee, TWIC card, etc. But we do offer options to assist in paying for your training.

1. Explorer’s Guide Payment Plan – Deposit down, balance before class start date. You can secure your spot in an upcoming class by enrolling and paying a $100 deposit. The balance of your course fee is due typically one week before the first day of class. That gives you a little bit more time to come up with the funds. (If the class is cancelled due to lack of enrollment, the deposit is refunded).
2. PayPal Credit – A secure pay-over-time payment plan set up by PayPal. Here’s how it works. You enroll online for one of our classes: https://www.explorersguidellc.com/class-schedule. Enter in your name, address, etc. Under Payment Options, choose PayPal Payment, check the box “I accept the Terms of service for this event, and Register. You will be transferred over to the PayPal site. If you don’t have a PayPal account, you’ll need to create one. You can then pay your balance in full by the payment due date to avoid any interest charges or just make the minimum payments until you’ve paid off your purchase. Easy-peasy.
3. VA Funding – In Wisconsin only (Appleton, Milwaukee, Sturgeon Bay classes). Not available for online courses or classes outside of Wisconsin. If you are a Veteran and have GI Bill or Post-911 benefits, you are eligible. As government bureaucracy tends to be on the slow side, please allow yourself time to apply for and acquire this benefit. Don’t choose a class that is starting in less than a month. Seriously.
   1. The First step in the process is to apply for benefits using https://vabenefits.vba.gov/vonapp/. They will issue a certificate of eligibility (COE). This step typically takes 3-4 weeks, so plan ahead. We absolutely need this document to certify your enrollment for payment.
   2. Second, call Brenda at Explorer’s Guide Maritime Academy (920-733-5500) to enroll and tell her you are using your VA education benefits. A $100 deposit is required to hold your classroom seat until the benefits are approved. When you receive your COE from the VA, send it to Brenda.
   3. Finally, attend the class in Appleton, Milwaukee or Sturgeon Bay.

One final note about enrolling online and paying for your courses: under Payment Options on the Enrollment Sheet, if you choose “Offline Payment”, you will need to call Brenda at 920-733-5500 to make arrangements for payment. UNLESS WE RECEIVE AT LEAST A $100 DEPOSIT, YOU ARE NOT ENROLLED!

Hope this helps. As always, if you have questions, call. We’ll be happy to help.