From the PetGroomer.com Career Start section http://www.petgroomer.com/careerwatch.htm.

Is the institution "approved" or "licensed" as a vocational education institution? (Nearly all U.S. states "state license / approval" vocational educational institutions. Schools outside U.S. may have an alternate form of approval or no approval may be required. Inquire with the school if they are subject to governmental approval. Accreditation is not the same thing and usually comes later after the school has been successfully open a specified amount of time.)

What is the field-related background of the institution's owner and instructors?

How many instructors are there per student? What is the enrollment limit per class?

Is the institution accredited (accreditation is not the same as state licensed)?

Do they offer government related financial aid?

Do they offer private financing or payment plans?

Does the institution provide references from graduates?

Do they provide textbooks, handouts, videos or other forms of course materials?

Will you learn to groom multiple breed groups and various types of mixed breed pets?

Will you learn to groom cats?

How are the course hours divided between classroom and hands-on pet grooming?

Is the size of the institution's pet owner clientele, and average number of daily grooming appoints, adequate to supply all enrolled students with pets to groom every school day?

Do you have to share pets for grooming assignments with other students? If you do share pets how often can you be expected to share them?

Does the institution offer a job placement program and statistics for their actual placement success?

If you intend to be self-employed after graduation, will you learn pet grooming business management instruction as well as pet grooming skills?

If you are attending from out of the area, do they offer housing assistance?

Are you responsible to purchase a “toolkit?” What is the cost?

What happens if you are ill and cannot attend a class?

If you decide that grooming is not for you and you want to terminate your enrollment, are you eligible for a refund? (significantly varies by U.S. state)

If you want to add more training hours at the end of the program in which you are currently enrolled, can you add more?

Do they provide field trips to trade shows or other extracurricular activities?

You should have many more questions by the time you read the brochure or catalog of several schools. The differences will become self-evident. What if your training curriculum and experience is inadequate because you choose a less effective school? Take your decision very seriously, and we look forward to your entry into this exciting and growing industry. We suggest you tour the school first, in fact, some states may require you to do that before you enroll.