Employee Reimbursement Guide Building Your Case
Introduction Before You Begin Building Your Case for Reimbursement Template Case Letter Helpful Links/Resources Contact Us
Congratulations on taking the first step toward enhancing your professional skills and growth! Your commitment to continuous learning is essential in today’s dynamic landscape. While you are exploring your options, it’s important to know that many organizations offer financial assistance to support professional development. With a bit of planning, you could benefit from these resources and take your career further. This guide is designed to help you navigate the reimbursement process with confidence and clarity, and includes step by step instructions for building and presenting a case for reimbursement to leadership.
Before You Begin: Inquire Start by reaching out to your manager, HR business partner, or Learning and Development (L&D) team to find out if financial assistance is available. Ask where you can access your organization’s policy for further details.
Research Familiarize yourself with the specifics of your organization’s financial assistance policy, understanding these details upfront will help you navigate the process effectively. Consider the following: Payment Process: Does your organization reimburse costs after completion, or do they cover expenses upfront? Eligibility for Professional Development: Does the policy require professional development to qualify as tuition reimbursement? If so, many of Executive Education’s programs and workshops can be taken for graduatelevel credit. (When registering, ensure you sign up to take the program for credit.) Required Documentation: What documents will you need to provide, and what is the process for submission and approval? If your organization doesn’t have a formal policy for professional development reimbursement, you can still make a strong case for ad-hoc financial support. By following the steps below and demonstrating how the opportunity will benefit the organization, your manager may be open to providing assistance.
Time to Build Your Case Now that you’ve determined your eligibility for financial assistance, the available amount, and the required process and documentation, it’s time to start preparing your case for your leadership team. To guide you, we’ve created a checklist to help you stay organized and track your progress.
Align Program with Organizational/Role Goals Gather Costs Prepare Supporting Materials Put it All Together: Request Financial Assistance Follow-up: Showcase & Apply Your Learnings