| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Small private HVAC training school (for-profit company, Champion Technician Institute, Inc.); short non-degree courses in person in Mobile, plus an online option |
| Location | One training site: 9973 Lifeline Ct, Mobile, AL 36608 |
| Credentials | School diploma; no college degree or credit. Courses include EPA Section 608 certification and prepare for HVAC Excellence and NATE tests |
| Accreditation | None from a federally recognized accreditor. The school says the Alabama Board of Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors (a licensing board) approved its “Diploma Program” |
| Federal aid | None mentioned (no FAFSA or Pell); private financing through Lumion |
| Cost (October 2026) | In-person course $2,895 (listed as reduced from $6,800); online course $1,499; Insta-Tech $1,995 |
| Class size | 10 students or fewer per class, according to the school |
| Facts checked | October 2026 |
A small HVAC training school in west Mobile
Champion Technician Institute, Inc. is a privately run HVAC training school at 9973 Lifeline Ct in Mobile, Alabama. It is not a college: it teaches short heating, air-conditioning and refrigeration courses that end in a school diploma and industry certifications, not degrees or college credit. A March 2024 FOX10 segment named Andy Cross as owner and instructor. The school’s website says its Fast-Track program was designed in 2019 to train entry-level technicians faster than programs that take six months to two years. It does not publish enrollment numbers, but says every class is limited to 10 students or fewer and that its lab has more than 20 individual repair stations. The school’s graduates appear in the Alabama HVAC licensing board’s exam statistics from 2021 onward.
Programs and how they are taught
The website describes the main course in several ways. The home page lists a “2 Week Fast-Track (Contractors Prep) Course” and an “8 Week In-Depth Course”; the online page says 6 weeks; the specialty courses page says the Fast Track takes 6 to 8 weeks depending on day or night classes; and the site’s own title still says “6 Week Fast Track”. Ask which course you are signing up for and how many hours it includes, since no clock hours are published.
| Program | Credential | Campus | Schedule and delivery | Prepares for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| In-Person Fast Track HVAC (“8 Week In-Depth Course”) | School diploma; length given as 8 weeks on its page, 6 to 8 weeks elsewhere | Mobile | In person; day or night classes | EPA 608 (included); HVAC Excellence and NATE tests |
| 2 Week Fast-Track (“Contractors Prep”) | School diploma; 2 weeks | Mobile | In person, full time; dated start dates | Not stated beyond EPA 608 and “HVAC Technician”; ask about the state contractor exam |
| Online Fast Track | School diploma; 6 weeks, per its page | Online | Self-paced online, with some hands-on training (details not published) | EPA 608; the page also names NATE and “Alabama Board Certified Tech” |
| Insta-Tech | Short course; 2 weeks, or a 10-day option | Mobile | In person, full time | Skills upgrade for installers and helpers with 3 to 6 months’ experience |
| HVAC specialty courses | Single courses (20 listed) | Mobile | Not stated | Topic courses; some priced at $399 to $499 |
What the main courses cover
In-Person Fast Track HVAC
The in-person course page lists electrical circuits, reading wiring diagrams, tools, safety and hazard prevention, the refrigeration cycle and troubleshooting, taught in the lab and on field service calls. The school says EPA Section 608 certification, required to buy and handle refrigerant, is included, and that the course prepares students for HVAC Excellence or NATE tests. Day classes run 9:00 am to 5:00 pm and night classes 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm; the home page says day classes are Monday to Friday and night classes Monday to Thursday, while the course page says Monday to Thursday and Tuesday to Thursday. Overnight accommodation is offered to out-of-town students.
2 Week Fast-Track
The 2-week course page covers electricity, refrigeration and troubleshooting, with lab work and service calls, and is aimed at people with no experience as well as working technicians. It calls the course a path to becoming a certified HVAC contractor, but does not say whether it prepares students for, or qualifies them to sit, the Alabama contractor examination. Ask before enrolling.
Online Fast Track
The online course lists five subjects: residential air conditioning and heating systems, electrical circuits, HVAC/R computer fundamentals, low-voltage controls and thermostats, and customer service and safety. The page mentions “Online & Hands-On Training” but does not say how much hands-on lab time online students get or where.
Insta-Tech
Insta-Tech is a two-week course for installers and helpers who already have about 3 to 6 months in the field. It covers electrical theory, refrigeration fundamentals and charging, troubleshooting, and recovery, evacuation and dehydration. A 10-day version runs from one Saturday to the following Sunday so an employee misses only one work week.
Cost and how students pay
Prices on the school’s website in October 2026:
| Course (as listed October 2026) | Listed price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| In-Person Fast Track HVAC | $2,895 | Shown as reduced from $6,800; one-time payment option of $2,895 |
| 2 Week Fast-Track (“5 Class Special”) | $2,895 | Shown as reduced from $6,800; special listed for a class on 21 August 2026 |
| Online Fast Track | $1,499 | Was $999 (three payments of $333) in March 2024, per FOX10 |
| Insta-Tech | $1,995 | Shown as reduced from $6,800 |
| Residential Service Call Procedures | $399 | Specialty course |
| System Diagnostics and Troubleshooting; Residential Installation Procedures | $499 each | Specialty courses |
| NATE “Ready to Work” certifications | $150 each | Four listed; the page does not say whether they are in tuition |
The website does not list what is included in each price, such as tools, EPA exam fees or accommodation, so ask for a written breakdown. The school does not mention federal student aid, Pell Grants, WIOA workforce funding or GI Bill benefits. Its financing page names Lumion as its financing partner and advertises no co-signer, fixed payments and “no accruing interest”; it does not publish loan or income-share terms, so read the agreement before signing.
Who can enroll
No formal admission requirements are published. The courses are pitched at beginners and at working technicians, except Insta-Tech, which expects some field experience. The school’s FAQ says an HVAC technician should have a high school diploma or GED, but does not say whether it requires one to enroll.
State approval and exam results
Champion Technician Institute is not accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Its website says the Alabama Board of Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors (HACR Board) has approved its “Diploma Program” and calls the school “certified and accredited” by the Board. The HACR Board is the state licensing board for HVAC contractors, not an accreditor, and we could not find a list of approved programs on the Board’s website. Private trade schools in Alabama are generally licensed through the Alabama Community College System’s Private School Licensure division; we could not confirm whether this school holds that license, so ask for its license number.
The HACR Board publishes pass and fail figures by school for candidates who took its Heating (contractor) exam as graduates of a training program. Its yearly reports list Champion’s graduates as follows:
| Year | Exams taken | Passed | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 14 | 9 | about 64% (the Board lists 64.00%) |
| 2024 | 5 (listed under two spellings of the name) | 4 | 80% |
| 2023 | 5 | 3 | 60% |
| 2022 | No row for the school | ||
| 2021 | 3 | 1 | about 33% |
Figures come from the Board’s 2025, 2024, 2023 and 2021 reports; earlier years spell the name “Champion Technical Institute, Inc.”. For comparison, candidates in 2025 who qualified through work experience rather than a school passed 47% of the time (123 of 260). These are small numbers, and they count exams taken, not graduates.
The school says it has a “100% placement rate to date” and that students can enter the HVAC industry after the Fast-Track program “or you don’t pay a dime”. It does not publish placement numbers, how placement is defined or the terms of that promise. Pay figures on its pages ($18 to $22 an hour, and an older Bureau of Labor Statistics projection for 2014 to 2024) are not results for its own graduates.
Before you enroll
- Course lengths on the website conflict (2, 6 and 8 weeks) and no clock hours are published. Get the length, hours and schedule of your course in writing.
- Prices are shown as discounts from $6,800 and some are tied to specific start dates. Ask what the price includes and whether it will change.
- Ask for the written terms of the “100% placement” and “you don’t pay a dime” claims, including what counts as placement and how a refund works.
- A school diploma is not a state license. Contracting work in Alabama needs a license from the HACR Board, which requires passing its exam; the school’s graduates passed 9 of 14 Heating exams in 2025.
- There is no federal financial aid. Read the Lumion financing agreement carefully.
Location
All in-person training takes place at 9973 Lifeline Ct, Mobile, AL 36608, in west Mobile. A local business directory lists 9943 Lifeline Ct, Suite E, so confirm the address before visiting. Phone (251) 639-6979.
What students say
We could not find an independent review source with a count we could check in October 2026. The school’s testimonials page shows videos from five students and three written five-star reviews, which the school chose to publish, and some of which date from 2023. Search the school’s Google and Yelp listings and ask to speak to recent graduates.
Facts checked October 2026.
Programs & Courses
HVAC courses
- In-Person Fast Track HVAC Training (described as 6 to 8 weeks; day or night)
- 2 Week Fast-Track (Contractors Prep) Course
- Online Fast Track Program
- Insta-Tech Program (2 weeks, for installers and helpers with some experience)
Specialty courses and certifications
- EPA Section 608 Technician Certification
- HVAC Excellence Employment Ready certifications
- NATE Ready to Work certifications
- Single courses including Residential Service Call Procedures, System Diagnostics and Troubleshooting, Residential Installation Procedures, Heat Pumps, Gas Heating, and Brazing and Soldering
Campus Locations
Mobile, AL 9973 Lifeline Ct, Mobile, AL 36608