Hi Altana,
I had decided at 15 that I wanted to be a bench jeweler (this was 10
years ago) and the only school that my mother recommended was Paris
Junior College. The actual department is known as Texas Institute of
Jewelry Technology and that point in time it was the only school we
found online. A lot has changed since then though.
TIJT has Master Bench Jewelers that can give hands on training and
encouragement. I went there from 2000 to 2002 and even though I
didn’t take all of the courses offered, I haven’t had many complaints
about my work. I don’t know the price range of other great programs
out there but since TIJT is part of an accredited college system, you
can apply for financial aid and the Pell grant generally covers about
80% of the tuition, tools, etc. PJC doesn’t allow student loans
though.
Good Luck on Your Endeavors,
Rene Howard