Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. NYICD is licensed by the New York State Department of Education and the curriculum for the course is submitted for approval on a regular basis. NYICD is accredited by the Distance Education Training Council (DETC—www.detc.org) which was founded in 1926 to promote sound educational standards and ethical business practices. The Accrediting Commission of DETC is cited by the U.S. Department of Education as the "nationally recognized accrediting agency." The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) also recognizes the Accrediting Commission.

Yes. This is a hallmark of NYICD, something that makes us different from many other online or distance education schools. You have unlimited access to your Student Advisor, who is ready and willing to answer your questions via telephone or email. And when you complete your projects, they will be evaluated on audio by a working professional. This support and guidance from insiders in the field an important part of your creative training — giving you much more insight than a letter grade.

Possibly. The IRS permits you to deduct the cost of your NYICD training under certain circumstances. Whether you qualify depends on your individual situation. Consult with your tax advisor to find out if it's deductible for you.

NYICD is open year round, and we have open enrollment so that students can enroll at any time. Each student progresses at his or her own pace. The office is open from 9 am to 6 pm weekdays, except it is closed for U.S. legal holidays.

During your study with NYICD you will complete a series of comprehension tests and projects. Your success in the course depends on your performance on both. All tests are open book and are completed online. Projects are hand evaluated by your instructor and must meet certain satisfactory levels of achievement. Projects that are not complete when submitted will be returned to the student marked "incomplete" and will have to be resubmitted.

Because NYICD's Courses offer very concentrated training based on a unique series of projects, we don't grant credit for previous training. All students who enroll in our programs will receive the same set of training materials and will complete the same set of projects and comprehension tests.

Because of the shorter length of our courses, we are not eligible for standard financial assistance programs that are offered by two- or four-year schools or federal agencies. Our low tuition and monthly payment program are designed to make it possible for students to afford the training on their own.

Unfortunately, because we have students from all over the world, not just in one region we are not able to offer opportunities like this. However, the student advisor will gladly help you brainstorm about ways to find some in your area.

The cost of your course depends on a number of factors. First, the course you choose, as the tuition varies depending on your field of study. We offer a low monthly payment plan as well as a full payment plan for those that can afford to pay for their course up front. In order to get complete costs and payment options for the course you’re interested in, please request a Free Course Catalog.

NYICD's Refund Policy is unique in the distance education industry. We can offer it because of the high quality of our courses. It's called our No-Risk Refund Policy and here is how it protects you: 1. If you request cancellation after examining the Unit One package, you are entitled to a full refund of everything you have paid, provided you notify the school within 21 days after you receive the Unit One package and you return the materials promptly. 2. If you request cancellation after the 21-day period, you owe no further payments, and you may be entitled to a pro-rated share of the Tuition based upon the number of lessons you have completed. 3. Fees for materials (Texts, Videos, Audios, and Kits) will be refunded in full at any time during the Course, provided you notify the school in writing within 21 days after you receive the materials and return them promptly.

A high school diploma or equivalency is required to take the Course. We also recommend that you have some basic computer proficiency. You do not need any prior training in blogging or writing. The Courses cover everything you need to know about this field, from the ground up.

NYICD Policy on Plagiarism:

Educators at all levels are aware that allegations of plagiarism and other forms of student cheating are on the rise in high schools and colleges across the country. While there should be no reason for a student to practice any sort of academic dishonesty in a program that is designed for self-improvement, we have the same commitment to academic integrity that all accredited schools share.

NYICD maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward plagiarism.

All work submitted by NYICD students must be the student’s own work and the result of the student’s own effort. Otherwise, it is plagiarism. Plagiarism is defined as the presentation of work in any form, which is not one’s own work without acknowledgement of the source or sources of that material. Plagiarism can include presenting work produced in collaboration with someone else as being entirely original, or it can be a quotation or paraphrase of someone else’s material, as well as direct copying.

If ideas or information come from a source, that source must be acknowledged and credited either by attribution, footnote, or any other accepted technique depending on the medium. Direct copying of someone else’s words is the most overt form of plagiarism.

Any type of plagiarism is unacceptable and will be grounds for dropping a student from an NYICD course. All possible instances of plagiarism are reported to the Institute’s Director who may use any means necessary to investigate the matter.

If you have any question about how to properly cite a source, please contact your student advisor before you submit any finished work to the school. If you have any questions on this topic, please contact your student advisor. For more information about plagiarism, you can visit the site www.plagiarism.org. The FAQ section there is particularly helpful.

Finally, NYICD students should be aware that in addition to consequences involving your enrollment in the school, plagiarism of copyrighted material can be a violation of U.S. copyright laws and lead to legal action and proceedings.

The Course consists of six units and a total of twenty-four lessons. These lessons are designed to guide you through the process of designing, creating, and monetizing your blog.

This depends on you. You can move through the Course at your own pace. Because a great deal of material is covered, you won't be able to race through it. If you apply yourself, you might be able to complete the Course in six to eight months. If, like many of our students, you have a busy schedule, you are free to finish your lessons at a more leisurely pace. You have up to three years to complete your Course at no extra charge.

It all depends what you want to do. Upon completion of the program, you will have the skill set and knowledge to make it as a professional blogger. Many of our students take that knowledge and continue to blog as a hobby. Some turn their blogs into serious money-making tools, using the revenue as a second income or making blogging their career. And still others use their training to get a blogging job. Learn more about the course curriculum and outcomes on the Blogging Course page.

The Fiction & Memoir Writing Course has six units, each of which is separated into four lessons, for a total of 24 lessons. Each lesson was prepared with the help of published authors who share their expertise in a variety of areas related to writing and publishing. The lesson books are fully illustrated, and guide you through the course from beginning to end.

Students will have up to three years to complete the Fiction & Memoir Writing Course at no additional charge. Because the course is self-paced, some students will finish quicker than others. On average, the course will take approximately 12-15 months for most students.

Completion of the writing course means that you have the skill set needed to be able to write anything you want in the fiction and memoir world. You’ll have developed your voice, mastered a professional writing style, and will have had up to 60 pages of your writing evaluated by a published author. What you do next is up to you, but we’ll show you how to self-publish your work or find and pitch larger publishers. Learn more about the course curriculum and outcomes on the Writing Course page.