Tuition Assistance and Financial Aid FAQs

Are you getting ready to enroll in a new learning or development program? Whether you’re starting a degree program, considering a certificate, or exploring other educational opportunities, it’s important to get as much info as possible about what financial aid might be available to you.

Your first step is to contact your HR or benefits team to determine your eligibility for tuition assistance or reimbursement. You can also reach out to a Workforce Edge advisor who can explain your options—including whether you’re eligible for tuition assistance through your employer’s education benefit. 

What are my payment and billing options?

Ask your HR or benefits team or a Workforce Edge advisor whether your school offers deferred or direct billing. For those with deferred billing, your school will require tuition payment by a specific date after you've completed your course. The benefit of deferred billing is that you’ll have time to wait for a tuition reimbursement payment from your employer (if they provide reimbursement), rather than having to pay out of pocket and get reimbursed later.

On the other hand, if your school uses direct billing, your employer pays the school directly rather than issuing you reimbursement for the courses you’ve completed. This means you won’t have to pay the tuition yourself; your employer will take care of it. Note: you may still be responsible for additional costs including books and other materials.

How do I get started?

Regardless of whether your school offers deferred or direct billing, you should contact your HR or benefits team and fill out an eligibility request. Then, connect with an enrollment counselor, admissions officer, or other rep at your selected school. They can help you enroll in your program and answer your questions to make sure you have the paperwork needed for tuition reimbursement. They will also give you info on the process of completing courses, billing, and payment.

What are some potential requirements?

If you receive tuition assistance or other education benefits from your employer, it’s important to know and fulfill any requirements they’ve set. Apart from selecting programs that are eligible for these benefits, you might also need to maintain a specific GPA in your courses, or only take a limited number of courses at one time. This is another reason to reach out to your HR or benefits rep or a Workforce Edge advisor—they’ll have helpful details and can make sure you’re meeting any requirements. 

How can I find the right program?

Workforce Edge offers the ability to access a wide variety of programs, including those that may be available with potential tuition assistance and other savings. That way, you can find the programs that best suit your schedule, goals, and financial plans. You can log on to the platform and search by school, areas of study, degree level, low-to-no upfront cost, and more.

Having all the details in one place can make the process easier, especially as you figure out what costs your employer can cover and what costs you may have to provide. Another benefit of using Workforce Edge is that it organizes all of your information in one place – streamlining the process of enrolling, completing courses, potentially requesting reimbursement, and more.

Get more info by contacting a Workforce Edge advisor today.