Admissions & Fees
How to Apply
All of these steps must be completed before considering yourself fully accepted to and ready to attend our in person training:
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Fill out the online application form & pay $100 Application fee
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Complete the Payment Plan Form and Contract
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Fill out a Financial Assistance Form if tuition support is needed.
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Reach out to the Student Services Coordinator of your location to let them know you have enrolled, or are in the process of enrolling, and they can assist you with any questions that arise.
If you are in need of downloadable forms to mail into LifeWays, please email Julie at administrator@lifewaysnorthamerica.net
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.
Program Costs
Tuition
There is a $100 non refundable application fee. Tuition & fees for the 2026 training year coming soon.
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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 as a thank you.
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Installment Payment Plan
We have various payment plan options. A $100 service fee is assessed for these customized plans and is reduced to $50 if an initial 50% payment is made. Monthly payment plans may be made for up to 24 months and can be paid with a credit card, or from your checking account using a debit card, PayPal, or ACH.
If you need a customized plan to attend, please email to discuss this with Kari, our Financial Administrator, finances@lifewaysnorthamerica.net, as soon as you have sent in your application. After creating a custom payment plan with Kari, you will receive a payment plan agreement which must be signed and returned within five (5) days of your receipt of it.
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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 $100 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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45 days or more prior to the first session: Full refund less a $100 cancellation fee.
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Less than 45 days prior to a session and up through completing the first session: Partial refund based on a $100 cancellation 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.