In short
Pick your state for the aid programs that pay for trade training there, and your city for the schools and local pay. Don't see your state or city? Fill out the form anyway — it matches schools by ZIP code whether or not we have a page written for them yet.
States
Missouri
Texas
Kansas
Ohio
West Virginia
Pages marked "coming" aren't written yet — we don't put a city name on a page before the local facts behind it are real and checked. The form works in every ZIP code today.
Cities
Built and checked:
In progress: St. Louis, Springfield, Wichita, Columbus, Dayton, Houston, San Antonio, Charleston, Beckley and the rest of the map. Until a city page exists, the form is the reliable route — it matches by ZIP code, and a ZIP match beats a city guide for finding what's actually near you.
How state aid works, in one paragraph
Federal aid — Pell Grants, GI Bill, WIOA through your job center — travels with you to any qualifying school in any state. State aid usually doesn't: it's written for residents, and often only for public schools inside the state. So the two questions that sort everything out are, first, what state is your permanent address in, and second, is the school public or private. Read your state's page before you talk money with any school, because an admissions rep from another state's school won't know your state's programs — and some don't mention what they can't offer.
Not sure where to start?
The form takes a ZIP code, not a state. It matches schools near you either way.
Questions
Why don't you have a page for my city yet?
Because we won't write one until the local facts behind it are real and checked — schools confirmed, pay figures sourced, aid rules read from the state. A page with a city name swapped in and nothing local in it would waste your time. The form works in the meantime.
Does state aid work at a private trade school?
Sometimes, mostly no. Most state grant programs are written for public community and technical colleges. Private schools usually take Pell, GI Bill, and payment plans instead. Your state page says which is which.
Can I use another state's aid if the school is closer?
Usually not — residency rules tie most state grants to your own state. The exceptions (reciprocal agreements, neighboring-county waivers) exist at some schools. Ask the school's financial aid office specifically; it's a standard question for them.
Where do the pay numbers on this site come from?
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — national medians on career pages, and area data on city pages. Every pay figure names its source and says "about," because medians aren't promises.