Merchant mariner training in Ohio

3 maritime programs with costs, results and funding that can make them free

1 school offers these merchant mariner programs, and Ohio has approved every one for workforce funding. Each shows its price if you pay yourself and how past students did.

Water transportation workers run and maintain the vessels that carry cargo and people over water. Entry-level sailors and marine oilers need no set education and usually get 1 month to 1 year of training after they are hired, while other jobs on board take Coast Guard-approved training. Most jobs require a Merchant Mariner Credential from the Coast Guard and a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC), and moving up takes logged time at sea.¹ To get a first merchant mariner credential from the Coast Guard you must show you hold or have applied for a TWIC, pass a drug test and pass vision, hearing and medical exams (or hold a Coast Guard medical certificate).²

In Ohio, all 3 programs ask for a high school diploma or equivalent.

By kind, the 3 programs here are STCW and endorsement course (1 program), entry-level mariner training (1 program) and mate or master license program (1 program).

See the 3 programs

How much does merchant mariner training cost in Ohio?

$500 to $1,500

from the lowest-priced program to the highest, if you pay yourself

In the typical program

Finished the program: Not reported; None of the 3 programs report it
Working 6 months later: Not reported; None of the 3 programs report it
Earned a year, estimated: Not reported; None of the 3 programs report it
Length: Not reported; None of the 3 programs report it

Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Only programs approved for workforce funding are listed; other schools in Ohio may also offer merchant mariner training. How these figures are made

Is there free merchant mariner training in Ohio?

Yes, if you qualify. WIOA (public workforce funding) can pay for any program on this page, in full or in part, depending on local limits.³⁴⁵
Ask an American Job Center whether you qualify, or call 1-877-872-5627.⁶ Before funding training, the center goes through an assessment and a career plan with you.⁵
Or pay yourself. These programs cost $500 to $1,500.

Who qualifies, and other ways to pay: financial aid, grants and the GI Bill

All 3 maritime programs in Ohio approved for WIOA funding

3 programs

STCW and endorsement courseIn personHigh school diploma or equivalent
Radar Observer - Western Rivers
Mountwest Community and Technical College
Huntington, WV
Accredited school
High school diploma or equivalent
Mountwest Community and Technical College, Huntington, WVSTCW and endorsement course · Accredited schoolIn person · High school diploma or equivalent
Classes are outside Ohio; Ohio approved the program for its funding.
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourself$500
Program website, Radar Observer - Western Rivers at Mountwest Community and Technical College
More details about Radar Observer - Western Rivers at Mountwest Community and Technical College
Finished
Not reported
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
Not reported
Cost of supplies
None listed
Students counted
Not reported
Earned a year, estimated
Not reported
Price if you pay yourself
$500
Program website, Radar Observer - Western Rivers at Mountwest Community and Technical College
Entry-level mariner trainingIn personHigh school diploma or equivalent
Deckhand Basic Training
Mountwest Community and Technical College
Huntington, WV
Accredited school
High school diploma or equivalent
Mountwest Community and Technical College, Huntington, WVEntry-level mariner training · Accredited schoolIn person · High school diploma or equivalent
Classes are outside Ohio; Ohio approved the program for its funding.
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourself$750
Program website, Deckhand Basic Training at Mountwest Community and Technical College
More details about Deckhand Basic Training at Mountwest Community and Technical College
Finished
Not reported
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
Not reported
Cost of supplies
None listed
Students counted
Not reported
Earned a year, estimated
Not reported
Price if you pay yourself
$750
Program website, Deckhand Basic Training at Mountwest Community and Technical College
Mate or master license programIn personHigh school diploma or equivalent
Steersman of Towing Vessels on Western Rivers
Mountwest Community and Technical College
Huntington, WV
Accredited school
High school diploma or equivalent
Mountwest Community and Technical College, Huntington, WVMate or master license program · Accredited schoolIn person · High school diploma or equivalent
Classes are outside Ohio; Ohio approved the program for its funding.
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourself$1,500
Program website, Steersman of Towing Vessels on Western Rivers at Mountwest Community and Technical College
More details about Steersman of Towing Vessels on Western Rivers at Mountwest Community and Technical College
Finished
Not reported
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
Not reported
Cost of supplies
None listed
Students counted
Not reported
Earned a year, estimated
Not reported
Price if you pay yourself
$1,500
Program website, Steersman of Towing Vessels on Western Rivers at Mountwest Community and Technical College

How to pay for merchant mariner training in Ohio

WIOA funding can pay for merchant mariner training in Ohio

Every program on this page is approved for it. Whether you qualify, how much your local area pays and how to apply are on our page Does WIOA pay for job training?

Financial aid and grants for merchant mariner training

Most students can get federal student aid for college, career school or trade school. A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, usually doesn't have to be repaid. Ask the school whether its program qualifies.⁷⁸

GI Bill for merchant mariner training

Veterans, service members and qualified dependents can use GI Bill benefits for non-college training programs.⁹

The program list does not show which programs accept these. Ask the school.

Other training in Ohio

How merchant mariner training compares with the rest of transportation and logistics: Transportation and logistics training in Ohio

Where the Ohio merchant mariner program numbers come from

Which Ohio merchant mariner programs are on this list?

These are the merchant mariner programs Ohio approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), as reported to the US Department of Labor for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).¹⁰ The list here covers programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Schools that never applied for approval are missing, so this is a part of what Ohio offers.

How the prices and results of Ohio merchant mariner programs are measured

Prices are tuition and required fees for someone paying without workforce funding, as the school reported them; check the current price with the school. Results describe students who left each program in recent years, so they are no guarantee, and the yearly earnings are the reported quarter times four, an estimate. A program without a "Trained with WIOA funding" line may still take WIOA students. Where a field was left empty or withheld, the page says "Not reported", and "Left out" where a figure was filed but failed one of our checks; nothing is estimated to fill a gap. Where the numbers come from explains each figure in full.

Sources for the facts about merchant mariner training in Ohio

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