Admissions & Fees
How to Apply
When you have decided upon taking the Fundamentals Training, and determined which location & dates to attend, please contact the Coordinator for that location. Let them know you are interested and applying; discuss any additional information you need with them. If you would like to apply immediately, please do so by clicking onto the location page of your choice above.
Our goal is to do all we can to make it possible for you to take this training, while at the same time being respectful and responsible to the needs of our organization. We want more children and families to experience the simplicity, grace and joy in life that the LifeWays training encourages. We look forward to working with you.
Submit your Application and Payment Plan. All of these steps must be completed before considering yourself fully accepted to and ready to attend our in person training:
1. Please fill out the online application form and submit it with the fee ($100.00).
2. Complete the Payment Plan Form and contract and email them (with your signature) to our Student Financial Administrator OR mail them to P.O. Box 4035 Overland Park, KS 66204-9998.If you need a customized plan to attend, please email our Financial Administrator to arrange a conversation as soon as you have sent in your application.
​3. The Coordinator for your training location will contact you to welcome you into the program. Our Financial Administrator will process your payment plan and an invoice/billing will be set up for your payment(s).
** Please see the Discounts section for guidelines and requirements for receiving the Early Enrollment discount, Representative Sites discount or Fundamentals Retreat discount.
Program Costs
Tuition
There is a $75 non refundable application fee. Tuition is $5350 with an additional mentor fee of $600.
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Daily organic lunches and snacks are provided during the training.
Auditing students pay the tuition and do not have a mentor and do not complete the independent study requirements; thus, no graduation certificate is awarded or graduate benefits offered.
LifeWays Graduates are not considered auditing students and have the benefit of paying no tuition in the event they wish to attend part or all of another training. In this situation, LifeWays Graduates are only asked to cover the cost of food and supplies for the times they attend. If they only attend an occasional lecture, there is no fee.
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Other Expenses
Other expenses for the training include:
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Travel and lodging
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Breakfast and dinners during the training sessions
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Purchase of books for required reading
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A pentatonic kinder lyre (may also be borrowed)
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The reimbursement of mentor’s travel expenses for their mentor visit is also a possible additional expense
Discounts
01
Early Enrollment Discount:
Each training has an early enrollment date listed on its web page. Enrolling by this date means you can receive $225 off your tuition. In order to qualify for the Early Enrollment Discount, your registration must be complete by the deadline for the discount.
A completed registration includes:
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Application received and accepted by the Administrator or Student Services Coordinator
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Application fee received by the Financial Administrator (paid online)
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A contract and payment plan that have been approved by the Financial Administrator, signed by you and returned to them
Only when all of these conditions have been met by the deadline will the discount be applied.
02
Fundamentals Retreat Discount
If you have previously completed our Fundamentals Retreat, any tuition you paid (according to your payment plan for the retreat) is directly applied towards the Full Certificate Training. To receive this discount, please indicate your location and year of attendance on the Payment Plan.
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Representative Site Discount
If you currently work at a LifeWays Representative Site program, you also benefit from 25% off the tuition price. Please speak to your program director about how this discount will be applied. If the discount is to be directly applied to your tuition, you will indicate your place of employment on the Payment Plan.
Payment Options
01
Paying in Full
The Payment Plan form has several options. We encourage you to pay the full amount up front when possible. This may be done by Credit or Debit card, Billpay, Paypal, ACH, money order or check. We appreciate your paying in full in advance and will send you a complimentary copy of the LifeWays book Home Away from Home and the LifeWays DVD “Home Away from Home” as a thank you.
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Paying months before the training begins
More of our students are seeing the advantage of starting their installment payment plans as soon as they enroll, even if it is well before the training begins. A major advantage of this is that when your payments are stretched over eighteen months or more, then your monthly payment amount is smaller. It also makes it easier to have paid in full by the time you graduate. We encourage you to consider this option. If you choose the option to start paying in advance and have completed all payments by the time of graduation, the $100 service charge for a customized plan will be waived.
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Installment Payment Plan
A $100 service fee is assessed for 12 month plans and is reduced to $50 if an initial 50% ($2925) payment is made. The remaining balance may be paid in two payments, quarterly payments, or monthly payments over twelve months. If unable to pay this way, it is also possible to arrange for a customized plan (e.g. less money upfront or a payment period longer than twelve months). As stated above, if you need a customized plan to attend, please call to discuss this with Kari, Financial Administrator finances@lifewaysnorthamerica.net, as soon as you have sent in your application. If you are creating a custom payment plan with Kari, she will send you the payment plan agreement worked out and it is very helpful to LifeWays if you sign and return your plan within five (5) days of your receipt of it.
Instalment Payments may be paid with a credit card or from your checking account using a debit card, PayPal, Billpay, ACH or postdated checks. Using these automated payments and monthly e-statements makes it possible for us to carry over 100 students without adding interest.
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Payment plans must be completed, along with a contract before a student is considered fully enrolled in a training.
Fees & Refunds
Late Fee
Students must have an approved, signed payment plan, contract, and have made their first payment prior to the first day of training or a $50/week late fee will be charged.
Insufficient Funds Fee
Please know what your bank balance or credit card limit is, as there will be a $25 charge for returned checks or declined credit/debit card payments.
Refunds
The $75 Application Fee is nonrefundable. If a student must drop out of the program, the other fees will be prorated as follows:
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Prior to the first session: Full refund less a $100 processing fee.
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During or after completing the first session: Partial refund based on a $100 processing fee and a prorated amount for the days attended.
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After attending half of the training sessions, no refund or credits will be given on the amount owed for the complete training. Trainings are undertaken based on students’ agreements, so payment commitments will continue. Students may complete the training at any future time in any location.
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If tuition and/or fees increase before the student completes the training, then the student is responsible for paying any increase in the costs.
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Cancelled Trainings: In the unlikely event that a training series must be cancelled or rescheduled, the student may attend a training in another location or request a refund in full, including the Application Fee.
Financial Aid
We are passionate about making our training accessible for everyone. If personally funding this training is not feasible for you, please contact us to set up a payment plan and/or financial assistance package that will work for your budget. To begin, you may download and submit a Financial Assistance Form.
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We also suggest these avenues of support:
Seek support from friends or family who are eager to help you take steps toward setting up your own early childhood business or deepening your own parenting practices. Several students have been successful using online fundraising campaigns with family and friends. Remember to tell them why this training is important for you and what you will do with it!
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​Seek a loan from an individual or organization interested in helping you.