What Is Guild Education?

As tuition reimbursement becomes an increasingly popular benefit among employers, many companies are turning to Guild Education to provide their employees with educational opportunities. But what exactly is Guild Education, and what types of programs can it offer you? In this guide, we’ll explain what you can expect if you take your employer up on an educational program through Guild.

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In a nutshell

Let’s start with the basics. At its root, Guild Education serves as a middleman between corporations and educational institutions. Employers want to offer their employees educational opportunities, but they do not have the infrastructure to do so efficiently. That’s why they contract Guild to take care of the logistics, provide counseling, and offer infrastructure to employees looking to advance their education.

So, Guild is its own corporation with two types of clients: educational institutions and companies. They offer a service to educational institutions by bringing them students who are taking advantage of tuition reimbursement. On the other hand, they offer a service to companies by taking care of the logistics behind tuition reimbursement and offering additional employee benefits.

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What types of programs can I enroll in through Guild?

Guild has over 2,200 partner programs across the country which cover a wide range of subjects. So, students of all types of interests will find something that intrigues them through Guild Education. Whether you are interested in pursuing business, programming, art, history, or a foreign language, try consulting Guild today to see your options.

It’s also worth noting that Guild does not only provide education through its partner institutions. They can also mediate stipends between employers and any university or program in the country. The ability to do this may depend on your employer’s policy. But it is entirely possible to receive tuition reimbursement through Guild towards non-Guild partner programs.

What employers use Guild Education?

There is an ever-growing list of employers that tap Guild to provide tuition reimbursement to employees. These include Chipotle, Disney, Walmart, Target, Taco Bell, Lowe’s, Dollywood, Discover Financial, Macy’s, and many more.

If you are curious whether your employer uses the service, you can reach out to your HR department to get an overview of their tuition reimbursement packages.

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Are there any disadvantages of using Guild?

Guild is a fairly versatile program that has few downsides for the employee. Perhaps the only limitation of the program is that enrollees can only take courses through the program’s partners. If you have your heart set on a specific program that is not on Guild’s list, you have a few options.

The first is to tell Guild what you’re looking for and refer them to the program that you’d like to enroll in. They might be able to offer you an alternative that is equally suited to your interests. But if you can’t find anything through them, you have the option of asking your employer about other options.

Oftentimes, employers offer tuition reimbursement through Guild in tandem with a general tuition reimbursement program. Employees can choose between enrolling through Guild partners or receiving an educational stipend to put towards an institution of their choice. Though Guild partner programs typically end up being less expensive for employees, the generic programs can still offer substantial help to put students through college.

What are Guild Coaches?

One of the unique benefits that comes with Guild Education is the availability of Guild Coaches. Enrollees will have access to their own personal Guild Coach who guides them through understanding their benefits package, finding an appropriate educational opportunity, checking in to make sure it’s a good fit, balancing their education with their job, and much more. 

The benefits of a Guild Coach stretch even beyond the time when the student is in their educational course. Once you complete your program, a Guild Coach will help you incorporate your new credentials into your resume and help you negotiate a more advanced position and higher salary. If you decide to change your career path entirely and leave your company, your Guild Coach will still help you through this process.

Key Takeaways

• Guild Education acts as a go-between to help employers match their employees with educational programs
• They are used by many of the largest companies in the U.S. who offer tuition assistance programs
• You can choose from a list of Guild partners to receive a heavily subsidized education, and typically have the option to receive a set subsidy and enroll in a program that is not on the list
• Guild offers employees Guild Coaches, who help you through the educational process and with furthering your career upon completion of your program

Frequently asked questions about Guild Education