CODING BOOTCAMP FAQS
We have answers for you. Explore our frequently asked questions below!
What you get out of this program is directly related to what you put in, and we’re very proud of our student outcomes! We report all of our student outcomes to CIRR (the Council on Integrity in Results Reporting), and are proud of our 90% job placement rate.
Over 600 companies and counting have made offers to Tech Elevator graduates. We work with top employers in a variety of industries, from Fortune 500 companies to startups, and everything in between. Check out some of the employers in our hiring network.
We offer 30+ career sessions and hours of 1-on-1 career coaching through our Pathway Program™. Our expert coaches will help you develop your soft skills so that you feel confident and ready to land a meaningful job in tech. Career sessions include: elevator pitch practice, CliftonStrengths assessments, resume review, 4 weeks of interview prep, how to build your professional network and more. Check out some of our career support offerings.
Learning how to code is one part of your development, but digging deeper to discover your natural strengths and passions will help you become a well-rounded candidate for your ideal job.
We use tools like CliftonStrengths to determine your top strengths and how you can use them during your job search.
Our number one goal is to make sure this program is the right fit for our students. Accelerated learning isn’t for everyone, and every situation is different so it’s important to do your research and make the best decision for you.
Here are a few ways to help determine if it’s a fit:
Read our reviews on Course Report or Career Karma
Attend a Virtual Open House to get program details
Take the aptitude test to see if you have what it takes to be a coder
Check out a free learn to code or career session to see if you enjoy coding
Our instructors have decades of experience programming applications and mentoring junior developers. Our career coaches help connect you to the right career opportunities through the Pathway Program™.
Whether you’re changing careers, just beginning one, or adding onto an existing skill set, we help kick-start your career in tech.
Great. Take our quick aptitude test, then start your application. Of course, you can always contact us with questions.
For more financing-specific FAQs, check out our Financing FAQs.
You will learn either the Java or C# language, depending on your bootcamp selection. By the time you graduate, you will be able to create dynamic, database-backed web applications. This will give you the foundational skills to hit the ground running as a junior web application developer.
Specific technologies you will learn include:
Java/C# (.NET)
HTML
CSS
JavaScript
SQL
You can view our school catalog for more information.
Our instructors are industry professionals with an average of 20 years working as software developers. They’re passionate about helping students start their careers in tech, and are invested in their success. Stop by an Open House to meet an instructor – either remotely or at a campus.
We founded Tech Elevator as a demand-driven program designed to get you into a great career in programming. Java and C# are both widely used in software development, with a consistently large number of job openings in a variety of industries worldwide.
These two languages are excellent foundations which can act as a springboard to other languages you learn as you continue to build your career.
Both are great languages to know, but depending on your job focus, certain industries tend to use one language more than the other. As a good starting point, research types of jobs you’re interested in and check out the requirements listed in the job description. If there are certain companies you’re targeting, they may prefer one technology over the other and some basic research will give you the answer. We’re happy to talk through this more if you have questions.
Most mornings consist of lectures and learning, and lots of fresh coffee. After we break for lunch, you get to test your skills with hands-on practice. This could consist of group work, headphones-on solo work, tutoring sessions or pairing programming assignments.
The best way to learn is to do, so you’ll literally be coding from day one.
Once you’ve been accepted into Tech Elevator, we’ll be reaching out to you for best ways to prepare with exercises recommended by our instructors. In the meantime, Stanford’s Computer Science 101 is a great place to start. It’s free and can be accessed here.
Yes, you can. Our goal is to teach you how to be a developer, not just how to write code. That means you’re solving problems and thinking through solutions like a developer as you continue to practice and grow in your career. After 14 weeks, you’ll have confidence to start your career as a junior developer with the foundational code skills that will have you making an impact from your first day on the job.
Beyond the hard skills you’ll also become a well-rounded job candidate after taking advantage of our Pathway Program™, focusing on career development skills to help land your next job.
In addition to your instructor in the classroom, each campus has dedicated instructors who support extra work outside of the classroom. That means you can schedule tutoring sessions as much as you need to, ensuring you’re understanding concepts and implementing coding.
Remember, your campus director and instructors have a pretty good pulse on how you’re keeping up and will work with you if you feel like you’re getting behind or struggling in any way.
We’re proud to work with lenders who offer financing options for both tuition and cost of living. Check out details about our partners like Sallie Mae, Ascent and HFLA on this page.
While it is recommended you research potential financing options after you apply to Tech Elevator, students should not apply for a loan until they have been accepted and enrolled in a Tech Elevator cohort.
Our two most popular loan providers are Sallie Mae and Ascent. Applications for loans from Sallie Mae and Ascent can be completed and approved within 30 minutes if you do not use a cosigner. If you apply for a loan with a cosigner, it may extend the approval process by a few weeks. Please touch base with the loan provider on estimated times for approval with a cosigner as it may vary.
The application for Sallie Mae opens 300 days prior to the start of the cohort, while the application for Ascent opens 90 days before the cohort starts. Please do not apply until you have been accepted into the program.
$125 to hold your spot in class (once accepted)
$7,975 is due at the time of equipment release
$7,975 due on day 1 of week 8 of the bootcamp
Sallie Mae: For students who receive loans from Sallie Mae, half of their tuition will be paid directly to Tech Elevator 10 days after the cohort begins and the other half will be paid the Wednesday of week 8. If you received additional funds for cost of living, those funds are included in the payments made to Tech Elevator. Upon receiving each of the payments, Tech Elevator will send you a check for your cost of living funds either in person at your campus or via mail. Each of the two cost of living disbursements will be 50% of the total amount.
Ascent: Total tuition for Ascent is paid 10 days after the cohort begins. If you received cost of living funds, Ascent will send those to you directly.
Sallie Mae: 800-4-SALLIE or online chat via their website or app.
Ascent: To contact Ascent directly, email bootcamphelp@ascentprogram.com. To talk with your loan servicer, click here.
At this time, Tech Elevator is only able to consider applications from individuals residing in the continental United States.
Potential students residing in the United States but lacking U.S. citizenship should reach out to hello@techelevator.com to discuss enrollment options.
The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency states that a worker who is in a training or educational program approved by the Michigan Works! Agency can request a waiver to continue receiving unemployment benefits during training, even though they are not ‘available for and seeking full time work.’
To be eligible, the representatives will want to see that:
You are collecting regular UI Benefits
Reasonable opportunities for employment in occupations which your experience is suited for do not exist in the locality where you are claiming benefits
The vocational training has been approved by the local Workforce Development Board
Tech Elevator is listed on Michigan’s official training provider list, Michigan Training Connect
You have the required aptitudes to complete the course
From your local Michigan Works! Agency, request a copy of the Request for Approval of Vocational Training Course for Waiver of Unemployment Insurance Eligibility (Form DLEG-BWT 311-S)
Complete Section A and return the form to the MWA worker to send to the Unemployment Insurance Office
UI will evaluate the waiver request and approve or deny
If approved, file Form UIA 1680, Certification of Participation in Approved Training by mail or fax, showing Tech Elevator’s approval of your participation.
Certify eligibility every two weeks online through MiWAM
Ohio’s Unemployment Insurance Guide for Workers states that although individuals generally are not eligible for benefits while attending school full-time, you may be allowed to collect benefits while in school if you enroll in a training course approved by ODJFS and make satisfactory progress.
Tech Elevator is approved by ODJFS and is listed on their WIET list.
This exception applies to the requirement that you be ‘able and available for suitable work.’ In addition, you should make sure that you are otherwise eligible for UI benefits, outside of your student status (e.g. out of work by no fault of your own, ‘totally’ or ‘partially’ unemployed, etc.). Consult the UI Guide for Workers to make sure.
At the time of applying for unemployment benefits, state that you are in school or that you are a student.
Once you indicate that you are attending school, a fact-finding document will be generated by the unemployment office and sent to you.
Send the form to your Tech Elevator Admissions Coordinator to complete, copy, and return to you.
Return the form to the office of unemployment.
When the completed form is sent back to the unemployment office, they will indicate whether you are considered available for work and are eligible for unemployment benefits (assuming you meet all other eligibility criteria).
Yes! Tech Elevator staff (and classmates) will be available to support your independent study and will offer opportunities for 1-on-1 sessions regularly throughout your cohort.
There will be academic performance benchmarks for each module, including weekly exercises due on Sunday and an end-of-module summative assessment. Passing a module is based on a combination of exercise completion and your assessment score.
The part-time Pathway Program will run parallel to your technical curriculum, and will include independent work—including reading assignments, videos and quizzes. We will also provide 1-on-1 career coaching for assignment feedback (ie. resume, LinkedIn development for example) and to help you develop your career strategy. You can request ad-hoc appointments as needed.
Tech Elevator can enroll students from anywhere except Texas and Delaware.
We understand that finding ways to pay for the program can be challenging. For that reason, we have partnered with leading financing partners to support our students both for tuition and cost of living with a variety of payment options that might be a good fit for your situation. These include student-friendly options to finance your bootcamp, scholarships, workforce grants and veteran’s benefits. Visit our tuition page for more information. Please note that ISAs are not applicable to the part-time program.
We offer a suite of reskilling solutions at scaleable price points to meet your organizational needs. Speak with a team member today to explore your reskilling options.
Our curriculum covers a introduction to programming in either Java or .NET, which leads into Relational Databases and Client Server Programming, followed by Web Application Devlopment. All the critical components to produce a code-ready full-stack software engineer. Our curriculum, based on volume of needs, can be customized for dedicated cohorts to highlight specific concepts as needed by your organization. Speak with a team member for an overview of our current curriculum offerings.
We offer part-time and full-time programs. Part-time programs last 30 weeks and full-time programs last 14 weeks.
We have found our approach to be effective at producing skilled software engineers who can address and manage the same level of work and skill as those with traditional computer science degrees.
There is limit on the number. Depending on which reskilling solution best suits your organization, you can reskill as few as one or two students and as many as 100+.
We offer both full-time and part-time options bootcamps.
The full-time, immersive program runs Monday – Friday for 14 weeks. Your days will run from 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. and will include lectures, working sessions, workshops and breakout group work. Some afternoons we’ll offer the option to for career talks after hours and mentoring opportunities. The lab is also yours to work in 24/7.
The part-time program is 30 weeks long and includes a mix of self-study, small-group programming projects and lecture from expert instructors. To cater to working adults, Monday-Friday includes independent student with Saturdays reserved for instructor-led reviews.
We have bootcamps running in Cleveland, OH, Columbus, OH, Cincinnati, OH, Detroit, MI , Pittsburgh, PA, Philadelphia, PA, and Wilmington, DE. Our in-person bootcamps are returning to on-campus instruction for start dates in May and September of 2022.
We also offer National Live Remote campus options with the same learn to code and career prep experience as our in-person program.
To get the most up-to-date details on how we are operating during the COVID-19 crisis, click here.
Classes vary based on language and time of year, but typically we have around 15-18 students per class. With additional instructors on staff, we have a ratio of 1 instructor to 12 students which means a lot of personal attention.
CAMPUS LOCATIONS
CLE | CBUS | CINCY | DAL | PGH | PHL | WILM
Summer 2022
May 16 – August 19 // Apply now
Fall 2022
September 12 – December 16 // Apply now
LIVE REMOTE CAMPUSES
CLT | CHI | DET | WILM | NATIONAL LIVE REMOTE
Spring 2022
April 23 – Dec 5 // Part-Time // Apply now
Summer 2022
May 16 – August 19 // Full-Time // Apply now
July 5 – October 7 // Full-Time // Apply now
August 20 – April 3 // Part-Time // Apply now
Fall 2022
September 12 – December 16 // Full-Time // Apply now
October 24 – February 10 // Full-Time //Apply now
Coding bootcamps are a unique form of education, and there’s a reason that we call them “bootcamps”: they’re intense periods of hard work designed to yield breakthrough progress and big payoffs on the other side. To be successful you have to be focused and dedicated. We ask that all applicants for Tech Elevator’s full-time program be prepared to either take time off or step away fully from their jobs. Alternatively, we also offer a Part-Time Program that allows for students to learn at a more flexible pace.
For many it’s not hard to say goodbye to their current, unfulfilling job knowing that Tech Elevator will be their onramp to a new, satisfying career. If you love your company (but maybe not your role), consider talking to your employer about the program and how it can enhance your skill set for the job, or help them in other areas. Rather than lose you completely they may be willing to support you, sometimes with tuition support, sometimes with a leave of absence. It never hurts to ask!
Enrolling in a coding bootcamp is a big decision. To help narrow your options, our co-founder and CEO Anthony Hughes put together a framework to help people determine which bootcamp makes the most sense for them. The framework focuses on approaching how to choose a bootcamp, and provides questions to ask during your research. Access the free guide here, and download our free bootcamp comparison checklist.
The short answer is “no”.
…but it’s always a good sign if somebody has made some strides towards learning the craft on their own. A lot of our students start teaching themselves online and decide to take the next steps with our program. What we really care about is your natural aptitude because when we have the right raw materials, we can make a great programmer.
Take our quick aptitude test to see if you’re a good fit for the program.
Try taking our short software developer personality test to see if you have characteristics needed to succeed in a software development role.
Nope, all students will be provided with a laptop to use during the duration of the program, and any paid software licenses are provided by Tech Elevator.
Classrooms/labs will be equipped with the necessary equipment including shared monitors to allow students to collaborate via “pair-programming”.
The bootcamp tuition is $15,950.
You have a few payment options including credit card, check and PayPal. Some students save up and pay all in one sum, while others break out payments. We’re happy to work with you on payment options that work for you.
For payment and financing options, visit our financing page.
For more financing-specific FAQs, check out our Financing FAQs.
Yes, our payment plan follows this model:
$125 to hold your spot in class (once accepted)
$7,975 due on day 1 of the bootcamp
$7,975 due in week 8 of the bootcamp
Yes, we work with a variety of partner lenders. For more information, visit our financing page.
For more financing-specific FAQs, visit our Financing FAQs page.
Tech Elevator is an eligible training provider with the Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act, which authorizes & funds employment & training programs in the United States.
Based on your qualification criteria & Tech Elevator accepted enrollment, you may be eligible for WIOA financial assistance. Visit our financing page for local office information.
For more financing-specific FAQs, visit our Financing FAQs page.
Through the generous support of hiring partners, we offer scholarships throughout the year. Check out our scholarship opportunities.
Most federal student loans are eligible for at least one income-driven repayment plan. If your income is low enough, your payment could be as low as $0 per month. Check out this website for more information.
There are many great short-term rentals you can find through sites like Airbnb, Home Away and VRBO to name a few. We’ll work with you to help navigate housing options, neighborhoods and commute time.
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