:: Online Texas Real Estate Salesperson Program—Frequently Asked Questions
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Online Texas Real Estate Salesperson Program—Frequently Asked Questions
I’m interested in becoming a real estate salesperson or in getting my real estate license. How do I get started?
The Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) oversees real estate salesperson licensure in Texas.
TREC will evaluate your transcript to determine how many hours of study you need to complete the education requirement for licensure. TREC charges a fee to evaluate these documents.
You must also find a Texas real estate broker with an active license to sponsor you as a salesperson.
You’ll find complete information about these and other application rules on the TREC Web site: http://www.trec.state.tx.us/licenses (a new browser window will open).
Once I register for a class, how soon will I be able to begin it?
PDC enters registrations and payments during normal UT business hours: 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Monday-Friday (Central Time Zone). They are processed in the order received. However, registrations received after 3:00 p.m. may be processed the next business day. Once they’re processed, you should be able to access your classes within 15 to 20 minutes.
Who assigns my login and password?
Once your registrations and payments are entered, we notify the Dearborn RE Campus that you are approved to begin classes. At that time, RE Campus assigns your login and password to you.
Are there any books or exam prep materials available for purchase?
You may purchase books and prep materials to help prepare for your licensure exam. Specific course pages also contain links to this online bookstore (a new browser window will open).
Can I get a refund on a class or on materials?
There are no refunds for online classes and any materials purchased.
Are there any other fees besides the price of the class?
There are no additional fees for the classes. If you choose to do so, you may purchase books to help prepare for your licensure exam. Specific course pages also contain links to this online bookstore (a new browser window will open).
How long do I have to complete a course?
A student’s access to any single online course enrollment begins immediately after purchase and lasts for 12 months. You have a 12-month period to complete a course. The 12-month period begins the day PDC processes your registration, not the day you first begin the course. The Texas Real Estate Commission Ethics and Legal Update MCE are updated every two years. Towards the end of each term, the length of time these 3-hour classes are available will be reduced.
How do I receive an extension to complete the courses?
The original 12-month period may be extended up to 50 percent or six months, whichever is less, to accommodate extenuating circumstances that prevent students from completing courses during the initial 12-month access period.
If you need more than the original 12 months to complete a course, print and complete the Course Extension form and send it to us via fax at (512) 232-6126 or as a scanned document to pdc@austin.utexas.edu. You may include your payment information on the form or request that we call you for credit card information.
If you realize during the 12-month enrollment period that you will need more time to complete a course, you can request a monthly extension for a charge of $25 per month per course. You must also complete and submit the Course Extension form.
Student access to online courses shall NOT exceed an 18-month period no matter the circumstances. If a 30-day extension to the 12-month period is needed, students must request this extension no later than the last day of the original enrollment period (that is, no more than 364 days after a course registration is processed). No extensions that would exceed the 18-month period will be granted.
In addition, a student’s access to any single online, stand-alone exam shall not exceed 30 days.
Courses cannot be extended after they have expired. If you have multiple classes that need to be extended you must extend all prior to the expiration date. If you do not complete an extended course prior to the new expiration date you will need to extend and pay the $25 fee again however you cannot extend past 18-months. You must also complete the Course Extension form.
What is the “24 hour MCE Rule”?
As of September 1, 2007, a licensee who takes an online MCE course will not be allowed to complete an online course in less than 24 hours. If a licensee has paid their renewal fee and begins an online MCE course for renewal purposes on the day their license expires, credit will not be awarded for completing the course on that day (regardless of how many hours credit the course awards). If this occurs, the licensee’s MCE will be considered late and a $200 Late MCE penalty fee will be assessed.
Do you offer financial aid or accept any payment plans? Do you accept students under the Hazlewood Act? Why can’t I be invoiced like your Web site says you do for your other programs?
The Professional Development Center does not provide financial aid or payment plans. If you register for one Pre-licensure or SAE course at a time (sequentially), you’ll be paying $150 at a time.
Under the Hazlewood Act, qualified veterans and dependent children of qualifying deceased veterans who resided in Texas at the time of their military service may enroll in classes at Texas public institutions of higher education at no cost (except for designated fees). However, the act usually does not apply to continuing education programs unless tax dollars are allocated in order to offer the class. The Continuing Education Division at UT, of which PDC is a part, is completely self supporting. Therefore, the Hazlewood Act does not apply to these courses.
We are not able to invoice you for these programs because we are required to receive payments for all online education prior to enrolling you.
Can courses be downloaded and taken off-line or do you have to remain online?
Since seat time can be recorded only while you are logged into the RECampus Web site, there is no provision or technological capability to allow for this.
Is it easy to print the material from the courses online?
Written material can be “print screened.” However, since each page of the reading material contains one or two paragraphs, printing chapters (approximately 25-50 pages each) can be paper intensive. The exercises are interactive and therefore may not print a useable page. There may be site restrictions on the test questions, which may result in a blank page if you try to print them. You cannot print test questions from either chapter tests or final exams.
How long may I take to complete a course?
You are allowed one year from the time you receive your password to complete a course.
What is “seat time?” Is it required?
TREC requires that you spend the number of hours on a course for which you receive credit. That is, if you’re enrolled in a 30-hour course, you must spend 30 50-minute hours on it. Keep in mind that validation questions appear on your computer twice per hour.
What do I do if I need help understanding course content or have questions about material covered in a course?
You can e-mail reinstructorhelp@kaplan.com with questions about course content.
What if I have technical questions or experience problems?
There is 24/7 technical support available to you. Call 888-213-5124, or e-mail REtechsupport@dearborn.com.
What happens if I don’t pass a class?
Call the UT administrator at 512-232-4334 to reset the final exam. If you fail the final exam a second time, you will be required to retake the course and the final exam at no additional charge.
Who informs TREC that I completed an MCE course?
After completing the course requirements, you will receive an e-mail with a link to TREC’s Alternative Instructional Methods Reporting Form. Complete the form, and fax it to the UT administrator, who will then fax the form to TREC.
Who gives me the exam that will get me my salesperson license?
License examinations are administered by PSI, a testing service company, not UT.
Who informs TREC that I completed an SAE and/or Prelicensing course?
The student is responsible for sending TREC the certificate earned from an SAE or Prelicensing course as proof of course completion.
How do I know if the quality of the courses is good?
In addition to satisfying requirements established by the Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC), PDC’s real estate salesperson courses are ARELLO approved. ARELLO is the Association of Real Estate License Law Officials, “comprising the official governmental agencies and other organizations around the world that issue real estate licenses/registrations in addition to regulating real estate practice and enforcing real estate law.”
The TREC Web site does not reflect my renewal. Can you contact them for me and get this resolved?
There are periods when TREC receives a high volume of faxes, and it therefore takes a few days for all renewals to be posted. If, after a week or so, the renewal is not posted, we can contact TREC.
Does this class qualify for college course credit? Will this be added to my UT transcript? Do I have to be a UT student to enroll in this program?
PDC’s Real Estate Salesperson courses are noncredit and do not appear on a UT transcript. You do not need to be admitted to UT to be able to enroll in these programs.
The Professional Development Center is a full cost recovery department within the Division of Continuing Education and is not a subsidiary of other schools and colleges in the University. Its courses for real estate sales professionals are not affiliated with any other real estate programs in the University.
TREC provider number 0343
