Advancing your skills can transform your career, but we know funding the investment can be a barrier. Here’s the good news: many employers help with continuing education expenses. Here are three tips on how to ask your employer to fund your tuition expenses.
Many employers offer tuition reimbursement as part of their employee benefits package. Check your employee manual or send a note to your HR team to find out if this is an option for you.
Even if your employer doesn't offer a formal tuition reimbursement benefit, they may still help you cover the costs of the course. Here are some tips for making a compelling pitch for reimbursement!
Prepare a clearly outlined, and professional presentation. Center your messaging around how tuition reimbursement will save or make the business money.
Here’s some employer-centered ideas for your presentation:
Include in your presentation your willingness to commit to your proposed plan. Consider offering one or more of the following:
Start with this email template. Just copy and edit to fit.
Hi [MANAGER],
I would like to continue my professional growth by enrolling in this Project Management course offered by University of Missouri–St. Louis Advanced Workforce Center. It’s a ten-week hybrid course with online self-paced content and weekly live sessions. The instructors are industry experts currently working in the project management field.
Here are a few course highlights:
I anticipate quickly gaining skills that I can apply before the course is even over. Plus, I can share what I’ve learned with our team so that everyone benefits.
Would [COMPANY] invest in my professional development and cover the cost of this course? Not only will this course benefit my growth, but I believe it will benefit [COMPANY] by:
What do you think? I’d be glad to meet with you to discuss this further.
Best,
[NAME]
A company that invests in your personal growth earns your return value and loyalty. It’s a win-win proposition. And remember, if you don’t ask, it’s not likely they’ll offer. The worst thing that can happen is they say no. Take the initiative—they’ll appreciate it in the long run!
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Project managers are in demand. By 2027, there are expected to be 22 million new project management jobs globally,* representing a growth of 30% over the past seven years.** Project managers connect the dots between strategy and execution. They leverage planning, communication, and management skills to help companies implement strategic initiatives, drive change, and deliver innovation. Hundreds of companies and industries need people with these skills (*Source: Anderson Economic Group; **Source: Burning Glass Labor Insight).
Project managers ensure projects are completed on time, within budget, and meet quality standards. This skill has become increasingly critical when leading distributed and cross-functional teams to deliver against company goals. A 2023 LinkedIn survey identified project management as one of the top six skills companies need most, alongside communication and persuasion. (Source: LinkedIn).
Our course attracts learners who are motivated to expand their knowledge and grow their careers. Their backgrounds are wide and varied, including professionals from Project Management, Business Operations, HR, Finance, Marketing, Engineering, IT/DevOps, and more. Our course is ideal for:
Have additional questions? Email us at support@ziplines.com and someone from our enrollment team will get back to you.
Yes. We have a Career Hub with on-demand career modules, resources, and workshops dedicated to helping you meet your career goals.
We do not offer job placement as part of our career support. However, we do provide you with the tools to be successful in your job search.
Successful completion of this course prepares you for roles similar to:
You’ll reinforce your learning by creating a Project Management Playbook that can be a resource for you during and after the course.
Through hands-on activities, you will practice managing real-world projects, guided by industry experts, using the latest strategies, techniques, and AI-powered tools.
Your Project Management Playbook includes how to run a project end-to-end: from strategic planning and scoping to creating a project plan leveraging the latest tools and AI to managing budget, risk, and delivery. You’ll also focus on strategies and best practices that help you lead a project team, manage stakeholders, and communicate effectively with others to ensure the project is successful.
You should expect to spend six to eight hours per week engaging with on-demand content created by industry experts, including hands-on activities and assignments in the online learning management system (LMS).
You’ll also have the opportunity to join two-hour weekly sessions live, online—designed to deepen your understanding through real-time collaboration and demonstrations of project management tools and techniques from industry leaders.
Yes, you will earn 23 Project Management Institute (PMI) education hours for completing this course, which will qualify for the Certified Associate Project Manager (CAPM®) exam.
In order to receive a certificate of completion, learners must complete 100% of online coursework, achieve 70% or better on each module assessment and submit all Strategic Project Management Playbook projects.
No, this is a noncredit course. As such, it is not eligible for financial aid. However, many employers offer reimbursement for continuing education, so check with your human resources department to determine your eligibility.
There are multiple payment options for this course. The first way is to pay upfront, online. This option also provides the largest savings.
We offer both installment and financing options. To find out if you qualify for either of these payment options, fill out the enrollment form to be directed to the payment page. From there, you can click on the "Get Qualified" link to see what options are available.
Many employers also offer tuition reimbursement. Our guide gives you suggestions and templates for how to ask your employer to cover the cost of the course.
View our reimbursement guide.
We are confident in the quality of our learning experience, having supported thousands of learners and received hundreds of 5-star reviews. Because we believe so strongly in the value and impact of our course, we offer a 7-day money-back guarantee from the start date. If the course isn't the right fit for you, you can withdraw within the first week of your course and receive a full refund, no questions asked.
Everything is online. You’ll access on-demand content and assignments through our online learning platform and join the optional instructor-led live sessions once a week through a video conference platform. The live sessions are recorded and available for playback on demand. The online Learner Dashboard can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection on a computer.
The certificate programs offered through this page are non-credit professional development opportunities and do not confer academic credit through the University of Missouri System. As such, they are not eligible for UM System Tuition Assistance.
If you seek professional development funding through your department, please consult your supervisor before enrolling.
