ORLANDO, Fla. — The cost of education after high school is not cheap. Whether it is a community college, a four-year university, or even a specialty trade school, students are looking at tens of thousands of dollars in either student debt or loans.

• Most Orange Technical College programs between $2,000 and $3,500
• Many students have little to no debt, says associate superintendent

Orange County, however, can offer certifications at a fraction of the cost.

Gloria Velez is a recent high school graduate of Oviedo High School, and one day wants to become a veterinarian. Rather than begin a career in two to four years, Velez hopes to get her career started in less than one.

Today she is enrolling in the veterinary assistant program, a one-year program that requires she attends 750 classroom hours and the total cost for her certification will be just under $2,200.

"I really didn't like the aspect of being in school for another four years," Velez says after stepping on to the Orange Technical College (OTC) Westside Campus for the first time. "I wanted to do something quicker and get quicker in to the environment that I wanted so I decided trade school was the way to go."

Between five different campuses across Orange County, OTC offers 58 different programs and specialties, ranging from 3D animation technology to welding, and facials specialty to web development.

"Students can come here, and generally speaking, find themselves in a trade or profession that will pay them $40,000 to $80,00 a year with little or no debt whatsoever," Associate Superintendent of Career and Technical Education Dr. Michael Armbruster said.

Most programs at OTC cost between $2,000 and $3,500. The most affordable program it offers is child care center operations, which only costs $131, and the most expensive is advanced automotive service technology, which will cost $7,000 and require students complete 2,400 program hours.

Orange County School Board member Pam Gould explains the conversations parents now have with their children before graduating from high school.

"It's not so much the college dream as a career path now," the OCPS School Board member of District 4 said. "I think parents like myself have woken up to the fact that there is not just one path to a career."

And for Velez, the realization of getting to work sooner with more practical experience is a big selling point.

"It gives you more experience in the field and it is more hands on which is what I prefer than doing all the bookwork," Velez said.

According to CollegeBoard.org, an in district student for a two-year public college will spend about $3,500 a year. For a four-year college nearly three times that, and out of state will cost nearly $25,000 a year.

According to Armbruster, students who come to OTC will earn the same certification and education in one year that some students receive in a two-year program at a specialty trade school that charges students on average $30,000.