Incorporate your school through the California secretary of state's office, and convert it into a nonprofit organization. If you plan to seek government grants and assistance to grow your school, then you need to structure the school as a nonprofit. Speak with an attorney to draft the articles of incorporation to become a corporation. Contact the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 to begin the application process to designate your school as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization.
Establish a board of trustees for your school. A board of trustees is responsible for suggesting and approving the day-to-day policies and procedures for the school. Board of trustee members may have a financial interest in the school and may indicate they must be a part of the board before they invest money. Choose people for your board that have experience in running a school or in education.
Obtain financing through fundraising for your school. Start small when starting a technical college. Some donors may not want to invest large sums of money in your institution until they see some level of success with your current pool of students. As your school successfully trains and prepares students, then you can increase your fundraising efforts. Contact local and national companies to determine if they will sponsor your school with supplies or funds.
Seek approval for starting your school with the Bureau of Private Postsecondary Education. The BPPE is responsible for schools that do not grant degrees but offer training and vocational programs. State approval is different from accreditation. The Bureau of Private Postsecondary Education can be reached at 916-574-7720.
Contact the California Department of Consumer Affairs. They may need to review your interest in starting a technical school. The California Postsecondary Education Commission may also review the application for starting your school. Contact the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities at 510-748-9001 or the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges at 415-506-0234.
Have your school accredited. Accreditation may be the most difficult process for your school because you must have students attending your school to become accredited. Unfortunately, students may not be interested in attending a school that is not accredited, especially if financial aid is not provided. There are dozens of accredited approving agencies. Some accreditation boards require that the school be in existence for a certain amount of time, as well as have a certain amount of students that have successfully graduated. Some accreditation boards will accredit your school based on the type of technical degree or education you are providing. For example, if you are teaching culinary arts, you can seek accreditation from the American Culinary Federation Education Accrediting Commission.