Employer Tuition Assistance + CIAT Workforce Grant
The CIAT Workforce Grant maximizes your employer's tuition assistance benefit by covering the rest; including tuition, equipment, and standard fees. Whether you're pursuing a certificate, associate, or bachelor's degree in technology, business, or healthcare, you can graduate without taking on student loans.
The CIAT Workforce Grant is straightforward by design. Your employer already offers tuition assistance, CIAT helps you make the most of it.
Verify that your employer provides annual tuition assistance and is part of CIAT's Preferred Employer Network. An advisor will walk you through the process.
Your employer's tuition assistance is applied directly to your program costs. CIAT bills your employer directly; no upfront payment, no reimbursement paperwork on your end.
The CIAT Workforce Grant covers any remaining tuition, required technology fees, and mandatory equipment costs, so you graduate with a credential and no debt.
CIAT programs are designed to build on one another. You can start where it makes sense for your schedule and career goals, and keep moving forward at your own pace. Each level adds real skills, industry certifications, and credit toward the next.
The CIAT Workforce Grant covers the following for eligible students:
All tuition for enrolled courses at the standard per-credit rate ($660/credit) for certificate, associate, and bachelor's degree programs, and all tuition for professional development bootcamps.
Program-specific technology fees as listed in the institutional fee schedule.
Mandatory equipment including computer lab kits, networking lab kits, Cisco lab fees, virtual cloud lab fees, and other course-required technology.
To qualify across all programs; bootcamp, certificate, associate, and bachelor's, students must meet the following criteria:
Benefit Partners
Students are responsible for the full tuition cost of any course in which they receive a failing grade. The CIAT Workforce Grant does not cover course retakes. Students may use employer educational assistance or personal funds to cover the cost of a failed course, subject to their employer's policies.
For students whose tuition is funded in whole or in part through an approved employer educational assistance or direct billing arrangement, CIAT may offer a deferred tuition payment option. Under this arrangement, CIAT defers the student's payment responsibility for eligible charges and bills the employer directly. No upfront payment is required from the student for authorized amounts, and no reimbursement to the employer is required for those charges.
To qualify, the employer's written authorization and payment terms must be received and approved by CIAT prior to the applicable payment due date. Any charges not covered by the employer; including textbooks, non-covered fees, or charges that exceed the employer's annual benefit limits, remain the student's financial responsibility.
Eligibility for the CIAT Workforce Grant requires employers to contribute educational tuition assistance per academic year. CIAT will cover remaining tuition, equipment, and standard fees. Textbooks are not included. Students must submit documentation of employer tuition assistance eligibility prior to enrollment and provide updated verification annually to maintain eligibility. Program terms are subject to change; please consult a CIAT advisor for current details.
The CIAT Workforce Grant is a scholarship program designed to help eligible working adults complete their degree or certificate without taking on student loans. It works by combining your employer's tuition assistance benefit with a dedicated CIAT institutional scholarship that covers any remaining tuition, required technology fees, and mandatory equipment costs. The result is a $0 out-of-pocket tuition experience for qualifying students.
Yes. To qualify for the full grant across all CIAT programs, including associate and bachelor's degrees, your employer must be part of CIAT's Preferred Employer Network and provide annual tuition assistance to their employees. If your employer is not currently in the network, you may still be eligible to enroll in select certificate and bootcamp programs. Contact a CIAT advisor to check your employer's status.
Start with your company's HR department or employee benefits portal. Ask specifically about tuition assistance or educational assistance benefits, the annual benefit amount, and any eligibility requirements. Once you have that information, a CIAT advisor can help you determine if you qualify for the CIAT Workforce Grant and walk you through next steps.
CIAT bills your employer directly for authorized tuition charges under a documented employer educational assistance or direct billing arrangement. You are not required to pay tuition upfront or seek reimbursement from your employer for those authorized amounts. Any charges not covered by your employer, such as textbooks or fees that exceed your annual benefit limit, remain your responsibility.
The Workforce Grant covers all tuition for enrolled courses, required technology fees, and mandatory equipment such as lab kits and virtual cloud lab access. It does not cover textbooks, courses in which a failing grade is received, course retakes, or optional fees such as official transcripts. Please review the full coverage details on this page or speak with a CIAT advisor.
Students are responsible for the full tuition cost of any course in which they receive a failing grade. The CIAT Workforce Grant does not cover retakes of failed courses. Depending on your employer's policies, you may be able to use employer tuition assistance or personal funds to cover the cost of a retake.
To remain eligible for the CIAT Workforce Grant, students must maintain satisfactory academic progress (SAP), a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher, and a minimum 80% attendance rate. You must also remain continuously employed at your qualifying employer throughout your program.
Yes. CIAT works directly with employers to establish partnership agreements that make the CIAT Workforce Grant available to their workforce. If your organization is interested in joining CIAT's Preferred Employer Network or creating a customized educational benefit program, reach out to our partnerships team to get started.
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* Students are encouraged to take certification exams while actively enrolled in their Bootcamp, Certificate or Degree program. Unlimited certification exam attempts expire 180 days after program completion. Select exams are not eligible for unlimited retakes - see certification exam policy for details. Industry certifications and/or courses may change at any time to address industry trends or improve student outcomes.
