TUITION REFUND POLICY
Effective as of January 3, 2023
If you enrolled prior to January 3, 2023, refer to this version of the policy instead.
We back our learning and career growth commitment with the “Tuition Refund Policy” (TRP). Subject to the terms below, if you are not offered a “Qualifying Position” (as defined below) within 180 days of graduation from your Thinkful program (such 180-day period, the “Career Services Period”), Thinkful will refund 100% of the tuition that you or a third party paid on your behalf and cancel any remaining owed payments.
Eligibility Requirements at Enrollment:
be at least 21 years of age by the time you graduate the program,
U.S. citizen or green card holder legally and permanently authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship; and who is currently located in the U.S.;
be proficient in spoken and written English;
be able to pass any background checks associated with jobs that you apply for;
live in or within a one-hour commuting distance of one of the "Approved Cities" listed below; A one-hour commuting distance is defined as no more than a 60-minute long rush hour commute to city center for an arrival by 9:00 am;
pay tuition Upfront, or through a Month-to-Month or Full or Partial Tuition Loan Financing (Traditional or Deferred) payment plans;
DATA SCIENCE PROGRAMS ONLY: Students have earned a BA/BS STEM Degree or BA/BS Degree and have 2+ years in a technical role. Students should have previous working experience directly related to the field (Data Analyst, Programmer, etc.) if their BA/BS is not a STEM Degree.
UX/UI PROGRAMS ONLY: Students have earned a BA/BS Degree or have 2+ years of experience in a design or research role. Experience should include graphic, visual or UX design work, OR user, market, competitor research work for a client or in conjunction with an organization.
Have not been enrolled in a previous Thinkful course and received a Tuition Refund
IF YOU HAVE NOT MET THE ABOVE REQUIREMENTS AT ENROLLMENT, YOU DO NOT QUALIFY FOR THE TRP.
Eligibility Requirements while Enrolled:
Graduate from the enrolled program and complete all course requirements (including all career services lessons) within the expected duration of the program as listed in the Course Catalog and enrollment agreement.
Pass all assessments (live assessments, capstones, mock interviews) within 2 attempts.
ANY VIOLATION OF THE ABOVE REQUIREMENTS WHILE ENROLLED MAY RESULT IN IMMEDIATE LOSS OF TRP.
Eligibility Requirements during Career Services period:
The “Career Services Period” starts the Monday after graduation and during this time we expect you to fully commit to the job search. This period is 180 days for all programs. We require you to engage in the process as a professional and to take our recommendations seriously. To retain eligibility for the TRP you must:
Apply for positions in the U.S. and must NOT be restricting that search to “remote-only” or “location-flexible” roles.
Track all job search activity using Thinkful’s approved tracker platform, Huntr, and be able to produce this resource at each of your coaching sessions.
Apply to at least 30 position-appropriate in-field jobs each week, unless your personalized job search plan sets a lower minimum and is documented in writing by a Career Coach and Advanced Support,
Complete targeted outreach/follow-up on 20 employer applications each week
Pass a technical interview by a third party with a score of 3 or more within 30 days of graduation, if requested by a Thinkful representative
Reply to the Career Services team communication or Thinkful employer introductions within 2 business days; including surveys,
Maintain communication with your Career Coach by initiating contact at least once weekly (via Slack, one/one, email, or other agreed-upon methods);
Not commit acts of dishonesty during the application process (i.e. submitting work that is not yours or making misrepresentations to employers on your resume or otherwise),
Perform at least 3 informational interview (networking) meetings per month either in-person, virtual, or a two-way async interaction between graduate and an industry professional to learn about opportunities in the field
Attend 1 job-related networking event (such as a meetup or job fair) each month unless your personalized job search plan sets a lower minimum and is documented in writing by a Career Coach and Advanced Support,
Grant permission for Thinkful/Chegg to follow up with past, current, and future employers for employment verification
Attend and complete all requirements of the Behavioral Interview workshop `or participate in 1:1 behavioral interview training with Career Coach within the first 30 days of graduation.
Must have an approved resume and cover letter by Career Coach within 30 days of graduation
UX/UI graduates only - must enhance portfolio with 1 new project (e.g. full UX application or website, full UI or visual design project, or redesign of existing app or product using research-backed improvements) within two months of graduation
ANY VIOLATION OF THE ABOVE REQUIREMENTS WHILE IN THE CAREER SERVICES PERIOD MAY RESULT IN IMMEDIATE LOSS OF TRP.
Any of the following actions taken during enrollment OR in the career services period will result in immediate loss of TRP:
You decide not to actively search for program-specific employment or pursue other endeavors after graduation.
You turn down an offer for a "Qualifying Position" or accept a job offer for a position that is not a "Qualifying Position."
You choose to start your own business, work as a freelancer or on a short/long-term contract, or accept an internship/apprenticeship.
You lose your work authorization as described above.
You behave in a manner that violates Thinkful's Code of Conduct as outlined in the course catalog.
Approved Cities:
Each of the following is an "Approved City" for software engineering, web development, data science, data analytics, technical project management, digital marketing, and design programs (as defined in the enrollment agreement):
Ann Arbor, MI • Atlanta, GA • Austin, TX • Baltimore, MD • Boise, ID • Boston, MA • Boulder, CO • Buffalo, NY • Charlotte, NC • Chicago, IL • Cincinnati, OH • Cleveland, OH • Columbus, OH • Dallas, TX • Denver, CO • Des Moines, IA • Detroit, MI • Hartford, CT • Houston, TX • Indianapolis, IN • Jacksonville, FL • Kansas City, MO • Las Vegas, NV • Los Angeles, CA • Madison, WI • Memphis, TN • Miami, FL • Milwaukee, WI • Minneapolis-Saint Paul, MN • Nashville, TN • New York, NY • Oakland, CA • Oklahoma City, OK • Orlando, FL • Philadelphia, PA • Phoenix, AZ • Pittsburgh, PA • Portland, OR • Raleigh, NC • Richmond, VA • Sacramento, CA • Salt Lake City, UT • San Antonio, TX • San Bernardino, CA • San Diego, CA • San Francisco, CA • San Jose, CA • Seattle, WA • St. Louis, MO • Tampa, FL • Washington, D.C.
Qualifying Role:
For students who chose to finance their program with the Upfront Payment, Month to Month Payment, or Traditional Loan options, a “Qualifying Position” means a "Full-Time," "In-Field" position that has an expected duration of engagement or employment of three months or more.
"Full-Time" means a job that is at least 30 hours per week or that is described as full-time in the offer.
"In-Field" means a job that requires the skills taught in your program, or one that would fall under a relevant Bureau of Labor Statistics SOC code.
For students who chose to finance their program through the Deferred Tuition option, a “Qualifying Position” means a position that (1) has an expected duration of engagement or employment (full-time or part-time) of three months or more and (2) “Paying at least $3,333.33 per month.”
“Paying at least $3,333.33 per month” means that the total anticipated compensation of such position, including salary, fees, equity, and any earned overtime or commissions, meets or exceeds $3,333.33 pre-tax per month.
Job Titles:
It is important to know that job titles in tech vary enormously from field to field and even company to company. As such, we expect you to apply for jobs suitable for your experience and background, which include titles such as but not limited to:
Software Engineering and Web Development programs: Web Developer, Frontend Developer, Backend Developer, Full Stack Developer, Software Engineer, Computer Programmer, Software Developer, Applications Software Developer, Systems Software Database Administrator, Network and Computer System Administrator, Computer Network Support Specialist Product Management programs: Product Manager, Associate/Junior Product Manager, Product Marketing Manager, Associate/Junior Product Marketing Manager, Technical Product Manager, Product Owner, Product Specialist, Product Analyst
Design programs: UX/UI Designer, Product Designer, Designer, Web Designer, UX Researcher, Information Architect, Product Manager
Data Science programs: Data Scientist, Data Engineer, Machine Learning Engineer, Data Analyst, Business Intelligence Analyst, Operations Analyst
Data Analytics programs: Data Analyst, Business Intelligence Analyst, Marketing Analyst, Finance Analyst, and Data Journalist
Digital Marketing programs: Marketing Specialist, Digital Marketing Manager, Marketing Coordinator, Marketing Associate, Social Media Manager, Email Marketing Specialist, Marketing Assistant, Social Media Specialist, Digital Marketing Analyst, Email Marketing Manager, Digital Marketing Analyst
Technical Project Management programs: Assistant Project Manager, Junior Project Manager, Associate Project Manager, Marketing Project Manager, Junior IT Project Manager, IT Project Manager, Cloud Product Director, Cybersecurity Project Manager, Data Center Product Director, Information Systems Project Manager (IS Project Manager), IT Developer (Information Technology Developer), IT Manager (Information Technology Manager), IT Program Manager (Information Technology Program Manager), Scrum Master, Transition Program Manager, Technical Project Manager
Additional Considerations:
Thinkful reserves the right to extend the Tuition Refund period and/or Career Services Period by up to six months if there is a natural disaster, epidemic, pandemic, act of God, war, terrorism, or other unexpected occurrences beyond Thinkful's reasonable control which disrupts the job market globally, nationally or in one or more metropolitan areas you are targeting, at its sole discretion. Thinkful reserves the right to modify TRP requirements and qualifications at its sole discretion based on approved accommodations and/or exceptions.
Graduates are responsible for tracking eligibility, maintaining records, and requesting refunds, according to the policies outlined above. A graduate may become ineligible for a tuition refund due to non-compliance with any of the requirements listed herein.
If you have graduated from a Thinkful program, have met all Eligibility Requirements, have conducted a professional job search as described herein, and have not received an offer for a "Qualifying Position” within 180 days of completing your program, you may request a refund of your tuition. Requests must be made in writing and submitted to academic.affairs@chegg.com within 30 days after the end of your Career Services Period stating that you have met all the terms of this policy and have not been offered any "Qualifying Positions." All job search activity tracked on Thinkful’s approved platform, Huntr, and logged by Career Coach will be audited after the request for review is made by the student at the end of the Career Services Period. TRP eligibility will be determined upon review.
