Merchant mariner training in Texas
3 maritime programs with costs, results and funding that can make them free
1 school offers these merchant mariner programs, and Texas 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 Texas, all 3 programs take students without a high school diploma.
All 3 are the same kind of program: entry-level mariner training.
See the 3 programsHow much does merchant mariner training cost in Texas?
$1,770 to $4,620
from the lowest-priced program to the highest, if you pay yourself
In the typical program
- Finished the program
- Not enough data
- 1 program reports it; a typical figure needs 5
- Working 6 months later
- Not enough data
- 2 programs report it; a typical figure needs 5
- Earned a year, estimated
- Not enough data
- 1 program reports it; a typical figure needs 5
- 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 Texas may also offer merchant mariner training. How these figures are made
All 3 maritime programs in Texas approved for WIOA funding
Filters
3 programs
Ordinary Seaman Certificate I
Lamar State College Orange
Orange
Accredited school
No diploma needed
Earned a year, estimated$18,100Price if you pay yourself$1,770School website, Ordinary Seaman Certificate I at Lamar State College OrangeMore details about Ordinary Seaman Certificate I at Lamar State College Orange
- Finished
- 49%
- Working at 6 months
- 47%
- Earned in a quarter
- $4,525
- Length
- Not reported
- Cost of supplies
- $500
- Students counted
- 52
- Earned a year, estimated
- $18,100
- Price if you pay yourself
- $1,770
Ordinary Seaman Certificate II
Lamar State College Orange
Orange
Accredited school
No diploma needed
Earned a year, estimatedLeft outPrice if you pay yourself$3,304School website, Ordinary Seaman Certificate II at Lamar State College OrangeMore details about Ordinary Seaman Certificate II at Lamar State College Orange
- Finished
- Not reported
- Working at 6 months
- 60%
- Earned in a quarter
- Left out
- Length
- Not reported
- Cost of supplies
- $700
- Students counted
- 12
- Earned a year, estimated
- Left out
- Price if you pay yourself
- $3,304
Ordinary Seaman Certificate III
Lamar State College Orange
Orange
Accredited school
No diploma needed
Earned a year, estimatedNot reportedPrice if you pay yourself$4,620School website, Ordinary Seaman Certificate III at Lamar State College OrangeMore details about Ordinary Seaman Certificate III at Lamar State College Orange
- Finished
- Not reported
- Working at 6 months
- Not reported
- Earned in a quarter
- Not reported
- Length
- Not reported
- Cost of supplies
- $1,100
- Students counted
- Not reported
- Earned a year, estimated
- Not reported
- Price if you pay yourself
- $4,620
No programs match these filters.
How to pay for merchant mariner training in Texas
WIOA funding can pay for merchant mariner training in Texas
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 Texas
How merchant mariner training compares with the rest of transportation and logistics: Transportation and logistics training in Texas
- CDL training162 programs
- CNA classes89 programs
- Medical assistant training139 programs
- Phlebotomy training72 programs
- Welding classes300 programs
- HVAC training181 programs
- Medical billing and coding training102 programs
- LPN programs86 programs
- EMT classes60 programs
- Electrician training117 programs
- Dental assistant programs79 programs
- Auto mechanic classes75 programs
- Pharmacy technician training77 programs
- Plumbing school73 programs
- CNC machinist training82 programs
- Carpentry classes17 programs
- Heavy equipment operator training11 programs
- Diesel mechanic training66 programs
- Cybersecurity training131 programs
- IT training400 programs
- Cosmetology school2 programs
- Barber school4 programs
- Esthetician school1 program
- Nail tech school1 program
- EKG technician programs21 programs
- Massage therapy school9 programs
- Paralegal programs42 programs
- Fire academy16 programs
- Police academy21 programs
- Surgical tech programs19 programs
- Radiology tech programs33 programs
- Culinary school10 programs
- Home health aide training1 program
- PTA programs20 programs
- Medical administrative assistant training75 programs
- Human resources training23 programs
- Medication aide training14 programs
- Industrial maintenance technician training132 programs
- Early childhood education programs33 programs
- Aircraft mechanic school36 programs
- Supply chain and logistics training42 programs
- Hospitality management programs6 programs
- Addiction counselor training4 programs
- Community health worker training4 programs
- Coding and software development courses66 programs
- Lineman school21 programs
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- Respiratory therapy programs16 programs
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- AutoCAD and drafting courses37 programs
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- Vet tech programs4 programs
- Real estate school2 programs
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- OTA programs5 programs
- Crane operator training39 programs
- Interpreter and translator training12 programs
- Home inspector training6 programs
- Forklift certification12 programs
- Personal trainer certification3 programs
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- Customer service training18 programs
- Flight school2 programs
- MRI tech school1 program
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- Human services programs2 programs
- Manufacturing technician training38 programs
- Electronics technician training55 programs
- Business administration programs93 programs
- Criminal justice programs23 programs
- Teacher assistant certification10 programs
- Auto body repair classes21 programs
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- Insurance license courses5 programs
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- Accounting and bookkeeping classes120 programs
- RN programs109 programs
- Project management certification73 programs
Where the Texas merchant mariner program numbers come from
Which Texas merchant mariner programs are on this list?
These are the merchant mariner programs Texas 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 Texas offers.
How the prices and results of Texas 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 Texas
Show the 10 sourcesHide the sources
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Water Transportation Workers
- Electronic Code of Federal Regulations: 46 CFR 10.225, requirements for original Merchant Mariner Credentials
- US Department of Labor, TrainingProviderResults.gov: About This Site
- US Department of Labor: WIOA Adult Program
- Code of Federal Regulations, title 20, part 680, sections 680.220, 680.230 and 680.310: career services before training, other grants such as Pell Grants first, and limits on Individual Training Accounts (GovInfo, 2024 edition)
- US Department of Labor: American Job Centers
- US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Eligibility for Federal Student Aid
- US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Don't Miss Out on Federal Pell Grants
- US Department of Veterans Affairs: GI Bill benefits for non-college degree programs
- US Department of Labor, Training and Employment Guidance Letter 8-19, Attachment I: Requirements for Training Providers, Program Eligibility, and the State Eligible Training Provider (ETP) List