Students: How can I get sponsored?
If you sign up for one of our courses while you’re working, you’ll bring significant benefits to your workplace.
To convince your employer to pay for your course fees, you’ll have to present these benefits in a business case.
We have templates available to help you present a case to your employer.
Approaching your employer - six tips
1. Identify the help you might need.
Work out how much the course will cost you - course fees, examination fees, the cost of extra revision classes, textbooks and so on.
You might need some time off for examinations, or permission to study after hours.
Help might also include the opportunity to work on projects that can be used as part of an assignment or dissertation.
2. Look up your firm's policies for sponsorship.
Your employer might offer a 'flexible benefits package'. Several large employers offer sponsorship as a staff benefit.
It is also important to understand how your organisation identifies learning needs. For example, if you have annual appraisals, you might want to introduce the idea of further study at these meetings.
3. Develop the business case.
It is likely that your company will only consider contributing if you present a business case.
This needs to demonstrate a measurable benefit to the organisation and how your learning meets both your aspirations and any needs identified with your manager.
Our templates are a useful starting ground, regardless of which programme you wish to study.
4. Consider the impact of your studies.
It will help if you show evidence that you have been thinking about ways to demonstrate the benefits of your learning.
Perhaps you could propose a mixture of evaluation methods, or measures of expected change and improvement that can be linked to any KPIs you are working towards.
5. Anticipate possible employer concerns.
Your employer might be concerned about how you juggle the demands of work and study, or if you expect time away from the office.
You can reassure managers that our courses enable you to fit your studies around your work commitments.
6. And finally... Ask!
Don't be afraid to ask. You never know what opportunities could lie in wait for you.
Remember to mention
- With online / distance learning, you can fit your studies around your work.
- You'll be able to apply new knowledge and ideas right from the start.
- You'll gain up-to-date technical and specialist knowledge for problem-solving in your organisation.
- If your degree involves a written dissertation under expert supervision, this may act as a consultancy for your business.