Admission and Fees

Here is information on all fees and how to apply.  Everything is available online

1. Check out our upcoming Course Dates and Locations  and use the links to access the information available about those programs that interest you.
2. Decide on a preferred program and contact the Student Services Coordinator of that program to discuss your plans and to get more detailed information.
3. Look at our Program Costs and our Payment Plans and Financial Aid information farther down on this page.
4. Submit your Application and Payment Plan.

• • Please fill out the online application form (click “Apply Now” above) and submit it with the Application fee ($75.00).
  • Complete the Contract and Payment Plan Form and mail or email them (with your signature) to Kari Cottrell, Student Financial Administrator, PO Box 4035 Overland Park, KS 66204 (finances@lifewaysnorthamerica.net). If you need a customized plan to attend, email her to discuss this as soon as you have sent in your application.
  • The Student Services Coordinator will contact you to accept you into the program. Kari will process your payment plan (see below for custom payment plan procedures) and an invoice/billing will be set up for your payment(s).
  • In order to qualify for the Early Bird Discount ($225 off when registering by a certain date), your registration must be complete by the deadline for the discount. A completed registration includes: Application received and accepted by the Student Services Coordinator; $75 application fee received by the Student Financial Administrator (paid online); a payment plan and contract that has been approved by Kari, signed by you and returned. Only when all of these conditions have been met by the deadline will the discount be applied.
  • For you to attend the training we must have received your application and $75 fee, signed payment plan, signed contract and initial payment before the training begins.

There is a $75 non refundable application fee. Tuition is $5250 with an additional mentor fee of $600.

Daily organic lunches and snacks are provided during the training. Students should expect to pay for their own travel and lodging; other expenses include the purchase of books and a pentatonic kinder lyre. Students also reimburse their mentor’s travel expenses for their mentor visit.

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. For more information, see LifeWays Graduates – Returning Refresher.

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 check, money order, credit card or debit card. 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.

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 email to discuss this with Kari Cottrell, Student 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.

Installment 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.

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.

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.

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 an online campaign such as GoFundMe with family and friends. Remember to tell them why this training is important for you and what you will do with it!
• Seek a loan from an individual or organization interested in helping you.

Early Registration Discount: Each training has an early registration 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 Registration Discount, your registration must be complete by the deadline for the discount. A completed registration includes:

• Application received and accepted by the Student Services Coordinator
• Application fee received by the Student Financial Administrator (paid online)
• A contract and payment plan that have been approved by Kari Cottrell, Student Financial Administrator, signed by you and returned to her

Only when all of these conditions have been met by the deadline will the discount be applied.

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.

Returned check or declined credit/debit card:  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:

• Prior to the first session: Full refund less a $100 processing fee.
• During or after completing the first session: Partial refund based on a $100 processing fee and a prorated amount for the days attended. 
• 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.
• If tuition and/or fees increase before the student completes the training, then the student is responsible for paying any increase in the costs.

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.

Starting Late:  It is sometimes possible to start a training with the second session, but the student understands that it may be necessary to make up missed session(s) in another location if the next training in the original location is postponed or cancelled.