Using Employer Education Benefits for Professional Certifications
What do I know | Who needs to know | Have I told them
Do you know about your employer sponsored education benefit?
Have you used your employer sponsored education benefit?
Who do you ask for your education benefits?
When it is time to pursue professional credentials or update your skills, your employer benefits package may be able to help cover the cost of furthering your education – including professional leadership certifications like those offered at the Resilience-Building Leader Program.
Helping people build and lead resilient teams for organizational learning and change has immediate benefits for both employers and employees. Organizations that offer education benefits find it easier to hire and retain top talent by encouraging individual learning. Additionally, up-skilling can be more cost-effective because you are preparing the succession pipeline for leadership positions. For employees, taking advantage of your employer-sponsored education benefits is the perfect way to?fund your development as a leader, enhancing your ability to assume greater responsibility.
Most companies today offer education benefits that cover the cost of their employees that want to pursue their educational goals. Have you asked your employer if they cover the cost of professional certifications??Now is the time!?Upskilling is a necessity in the marketplace today.
What is a Tuition Reimbursement Program?
A tuition reimbursement program enables a company to cover some or all of the costs of an employee’s education, as long as the program of study and related expenses fall within the guidelines of that company’s specific policy. Leadership is part of every position within an organization therefore the RBLP series of leadership certifications should be a topic of discussion for front-line supervisors, middle managers, and senior leaders.
Tuition reimbursement can be used to fund professional certifications.
To find out if your company has a tuition reimbursement program, ask your manager or supervisor, ask your HR representative, or check out your employee handbook.
How does this impact my taxes?
Most people are unaware that by taking advantage of an education assistance program it can?impact your taxes.?Employer-sponsored education benefits pay for degree and certificate programs at colleges and universities and professional certifications from credentialing agencies like the Resilience-Building Leader program.?Federal tax law allows employees to get up to $5,250 in tuition reimbursement tax free from their employer every year. This means that up to that $5,250 cap, you don’t have to declare the tuition reimbursement on your federal income taxes, as long as your company has a written policy, and the policy meets all federal tax guidelines.
There’s a tax benefit for your employer as well: Your company can take that same amount—up to $5,250 per year, per employee—as a tax deduction.??Have this conversation with your employer.??View the RBLP Payment Plan and other funding options
Get Started by asking your HR representative about using your education benefit for RBLP.
Each organization’s tuition reimbursement policy is unique, so it’s important to familiarize yourself with the details of your company’s policy before?enrolling in a professional certification program.?Here are some questions to ask regarding your employer’s program:?
?
How can we add RBLP to the educational opportunities funded for employees? RBLP is directly tied to your job (and growth) as a leader.
Most companies include tuition reimbursement for professional certifications. Others, however, may limit educational assistance based on resources. Be sure to ask your HR representative.?
Who approves my request to take the RBLP?
More than likely, you will need written approval from your manager before you can submit for reimbursement. You may also need to get sign-off from your HR representative, it all starts with having the conversation.
Do I need to report my progress through the program?
Some employers will require you to report back on how you did on the RBLP leadership certification exam, and how you enjoyed the program. They will likely ask for your recommendation for others to go through the RBLP program.
领英推荐
How does reimbursement work, what do I need to do??
Usually, reimbursement for professional certifications can be handled in a few ways:
Is this benefit available immediately?
The answer to this question will vary depending on the organization. Some employers may allow you to start taking programs immediately. Others may require that you be employed by the company for a certain amount of time before claiming benefits.?
Additionally, you should ask if this benefit can be used by full time employees and part time (depending on your role within the company).
Will the exam prep and certification exam impact my job requirements?
Be sure that you know exactly what the exam prep course or certification exam will require in terms of workload. Also, make sure that your manager understands how pursuing a professional leadership certification may impact your ability to fulfill your job requirements.?
Will you be able to complete all the necessary exam prep outside of working hours or will you do this during work hours??
Be clear with your employer in advance so there are no surprises or misunderstandings once the Resilience-Building Leader Program begins.
What feedback is required?
Communicate clearly with your HR department about what paperwork you need to complete (and get signed, if necessary) and when it must be done.?
Your employer probably has some type of tuition reimbursement approval form that you need to fill out and have signed by your manager several weeks, or maybe even months, before the program starts.
After you finish the program, you may need to provide some form of documentation from the Resilience-Building Leader Program showing that you completed the program and how you did. You may need to do this even if your employer paid for the program on your behalf.
What if My Employer Doesn’t Have an Education Assistance or Tuition Reimbursement Program??
Just because your employer doesn’t have an existing tuition reimbursement policy doesn’t mean you can’t explore it as a potential option. It could be that no one has ever asked for this benefit. If this is the case you should have this conversation with your HR representative.?
The key to making a strong case for tuition reimbursement lies in being specific. Avoid general statements and lay out a business case for how your exam prep training will benefit the organization.?Be sure to review the RBLP website in detail to gain a full understanding of the program’s competency domains and leader tasks. Resilience-Building Leader Program.
Be prepared to have the discussion and give your supervisor or manager the details such as exactly what level of RBLP leadership certification you want to take, where and when the exam prep is offered, and how much it will cost (or how much reimbursement you want).
Be ready to show your employer that helping you pursue your educational goals can have substantial benefits for the organization.?
Collective resilience is the team's ability to overcome challenges, and then adapt and grow because of those challenges. Resilient teams are the key to both individual and organizational resilience.???
Our three-tiered certification program provides organizations of any size, in any industry, with a holistic and scalable solution that integrates the efforts of all leaders towards the organization’s most important goals.?
Remind them that having (and using) an employer sponsored education / tuition reimbursement program can help a company:
Ensure to be very specific with your manager about how the Resilience-Building Leader Program will strengthen skills that provide real value – Building Resilient Teams for Organizational Learning and Change.?
As you prepare for this discussion, here are some additional things you should think about:
Start the conversation in order to discover the ability for you to continue your leadership journey through the Resilience-Building Leader Program's RBLP series of leadership certifications.
“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” – Benjamin Franklin
Have questions??Reach out directly.
Learn More. Lead Better.
RBLP Program Advisor| Director of Corporate and Community Relations and Development, WGU Virtual Chapter of SHRM | Marine Veteran
2 年Great article, and this is all true as someone who worked in HR, your post resonated with me all too well, I wish more people would continue their life-long Learning Journey, glad to be a part of the #RBLP family now! ????????
Thank you for sharing, Jason Politte, RBLP-T! Spreading awareness about education benefits is a great first step. ??