Novant Health Tuition Reimbursement: Online Degrees for Novant Health Employees

January 4, 2026

Novant Health operates three distinct education benefits for its 41,000+ team members across the Carolinas: Future Forward (a debt-free pre-paid tuition program launched in 2025 in partnership with InStride), the traditional Tuition Reimbursement Program (covering degree programs outside the Future Forward catalog), and the Upward Mobility RN Educational Assistance Fund (scholarships specifically for team members pursuing registered nursing licensure). Together, these programs provide one of the most generous education benefit packages offered by healthcare systems in North Carolina and South Carolina, supporting team member career advancement from frontline support roles through advanced clinical practice.

This guide walks through how each of the three programs works, the key structural differences (pre-paid versus reimbursement, partner-school catalog versus open-school flexibility, broad eligibility versus nursing-specific funding), the online degree paths that align with common Novant Health career trajectories in nursing, allied health, healthcare administration, and corporate functions, and the SNHU partnership available to Novant Health team members and their dependents. Novant Health’s pre-paid Future Forward model addresses the cash flow burden that affects most traditional tuition reimbursement programs and produces effectively zero out-of-pocket cost for team members pursuing programs within the partner catalog.

Quick Facts on Novant Health Education Benefits

Quick Facts	Novant Health Education Benefits
Employer	Novant Health, integrated nonprofit health system headquartered in Winston-Salem, NC; serves North Carolina and South Carolina
Workforce size	More than 41,000 team members across 19 hospitals, 750+ physician clinics and urgent care centers, and approximately 900 total locations; plus more than 8,600 independent and employed clinicians
Future Forward (pre-paid)	Up to $5,250 per year for full-time team members; $2,625 for qualifying part-time; Novant pays academic institutions through InStride partnership; available even to new hires
Traditional Tuition Reimbursement	Up to $5,250 per year for team members working at least 30 hours per week; degree maximum limits removed; 90-day eligibility period; covers degree programs outside the Future Forward catalog
Upward Mobility RN Fund	Scholarship program supporting team members pursuing registered nursing licensure
Tax treatment	Reimbursement up to $5,250 per calendar year is tax-free under federal Section 127 educational assistance rules
ECPI University partnership	Direct partner; scholarship match up to 15% of tuition for Novant Health employees and dependents; no registration or transcript review fees
SNHU partnership	Confirmed direct partner; eligible Novant Health team members and immediate family qualify for 10% SNHU tuition discount on more than 200 online programs
Clasp nurse anesthetist program	Student loan paydown collaboration for new nurse anesthetists joining Novant Health

Future Forward: The Debt-Free Pre-Paid Program

Future Forward represents Novant Health’s flagship education benefit, launched in 2025 to provide team members with debt-free access to a curated catalog of academic programs through partnership with the InStride education platform. The program structurally differs from traditional tuition reimbursement in one important way: Novant Health pays partner academic institutions on behalf of enrolled team members, which means team members do not pay tuition upfront and do not wait for reimbursement. The program produces effectively zero out-of-pocket cost for team members pursuing programs within the Future Forward catalog at full pace.

How Future Forward works

Team members enrolling in Future Forward select from a curated catalog of programs offered through InStride’s network of academic partners. Programs in the catalog cover associate’s degrees, bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, professional certifications, language proficiency programs, and high school diploma completion. Program selection is heavily oriented toward healthcare-relevant fields, including pharmacy technician, medical assistant, healthcare administration, nursing pathways, and related credentials, but also extends to broader business and operations programs.

Eligible team members do not pay tuition upfront. Novant Health pays the academic institution through the InStride platform, up to $5,250 per year for full-time team members and up to $2,625 per year for qualifying part-time team members. The pre-paid model represents a meaningful structural improvement over traditional reimbursement programs where team members must pay tuition upfront and wait 60 to 90 days for reimbursement. Team members with limited cash flow can participate in Future Forward without the cash flow gap that often deters participation in traditional programs.

Eligibility and timing

Future Forward is available to active full-time and part-time team members, including new hires. Unlike many tuition programs that require 6 to 12 months of service before eligibility, Future Forward has no extended waiting period for new team members. The accessibility for new hires reflects Novant Health’s positioning of education as a recruitment and retention tool for healthcare workforce talent in markets with persistent staffing shortages.

What Future Forward does and doesn’t cover

The program covers tuition and program fees for the academic offerings within the InStride catalog. The catalog focuses on programs that pertain to healthcare in some form and align with Novant Health workforce development priorities. Eligibility for specific courses is based on past and current work experience, which means team members typically don’t need to work through complex pre-approval processes for healthcare-aligned coursework.

Programs outside the Future Forward catalog (specialty graduate programs at non-partner institutions, doctoral programs, certain professional credentials) are not covered under Future Forward but may qualify for the traditional Tuition Reimbursement Program. Team members pursuing programs outside the InStride catalog should evaluate the traditional reimbursement option, which provides more school flexibility at the cost of the upfront-payment-then-reimbursement structure.

The Traditional Tuition Reimbursement Program

Novant Health’s traditional Tuition Reimbursement Program operates alongside Future Forward to support team members pursuing degree programs outside the curated InStride catalog. The traditional program provides up to $5,250 per year for team members working at least 30 hours per week, with the degree maximum limits removed (meaning team members can use the program across multiple degree credentials throughout their Novant Health careers). The eligibility period was reduced to 90 days, which makes the program accessible to team members within their first three months of employment.

How the traditional program works

The traditional program operates as a post-completion reimbursement model. Team members enroll in coursework at their chosen accredited institution, pay tuition upfront, complete coursework with required minimum grades, and submit reimbursement documentation to Novant Health. Reimbursement processing typically takes 30 to 60 days following submission. Team members must complete coursework with minimum grade thresholds (typically C or better undergraduate, B or better graduate) to qualify for reimbursement.

The traditional program covers a broader range of programs and institutions than Future Forward, including accredited online programs at universities not in the InStride partner catalog. This flexibility is valuable for team members pursuing specialty graduate credentials, programs at specific universities, or programs that better fit their career goals than the curated Future Forward options.

Recent enhancements

Novant Health has made several enhancements to the traditional program. The annual maximum was increased to $5,250, which aligns with the federal Section 127 tax-free threshold and represents a meaningful increase from earlier program design. Degree maximum limits were removed, which allows team members to pursue multiple credentials across their Novant Health careers without hitting program-level lifetime caps. An increased number of professional certifications became eligible, which broadens the program’s value for team members pursuing specialty credentials in healthcare administration, project management, and clinical leadership.

When to use traditional reimbursement instead of Future Forward

Future Forward should be the default option for most Novant Health team members because it eliminates upfront payment and produces zero out-of-pocket cost within the partner catalog. The traditional program is the right choice when the team member’s target program is at an institution outside the InStride catalog, when the program is a specialty credential not represented in the catalog, or when the team member has identified a specific academic program based on career trajectory considerations that the curated catalog does not include.

The Upward Mobility RN Educational Assistance Fund

The Upward Mobility RN Educational Assistance Fund provides scholarship support specifically for Novant Health team members pursuing registered nursing licensure. The program addresses the persistent nursing workforce shortage by funding clinical and non-clinical team members who want to advance into RN roles. Scholarships through the fund supplement (rather than replace) the Future Forward and traditional tuition reimbursement programs, which means team members pursuing nursing licensure can layer multiple Novant Health funding sources to reduce their out-of-pocket cost. Per the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook for registered nurses, median RN wages run approximately $86,000 with strong projected growth, which makes nursing pathway funding particularly valuable for team members in lower-paying frontline roles seeking meaningful career advancement.

Common nursing pathways the fund supports

Common RN pathway combinations supported through the fund include CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) to LPN (Licensed Practical Nurse) to RN, medical assistant to RN, paramedic to RN, and direct-entry associate degree in nursing for team members in non-clinical roles. The associate degree route (ADN) typically completes in 2 years of full-time study or 3 to 4 years part-time, while the bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) route typically completes in 4 years from scratch. Team members with prior college credit can complete BSN programs faster through traditional and accelerated pathways.

Clasp nurse anesthetist program

Beyond the Upward Mobility RN Fund, Novant Health partners with Clasp to provide student loan paydown support for new nurse anesthetists joining the system. Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) programs typically require an existing RN license plus 1 to 2 years of critical care experience, followed by a 36-month doctoral CRNA program at an accredited institution. The Clasp partnership addresses the substantial student loan burden that CRNA graduates typically carry by paying off a portion of those loans for new nurse anesthetists who join Novant Health.

The ECPI University Partnership

Novant Health maintains a direct enterprise partnership with ECPI University that provides scholarship match support for team members and their dependents enrolled in ECPI programs. The partnership stacks with Novant Health’s tuition reimbursement and Future Forward programs to produce additional cost reduction for team members and their family members pursuing ECPI credentials.

How the ECPI partnership works

ECPI University matches Novant Health’s employer tuition contributions dollar-for-dollar up to a limited annual amount and across the entire degree program. The match applies to remitted tuition assistance and private payments, providing up to 15 percent of tuition and fees in scholarship value. Registration fees and transcript review fees are waived for Novant Health team members and dependents, removing administrative costs that often add several hundred dollars to typical degree program costs.

ECPI offers accredited online and hybrid programs in healthcare-aligned fields including nursing (BSN, MSN), healthcare administration, medical assisting, and health sciences, plus broader programs in business, IT, and criminal justice. The dependent eligibility component is particularly valuable for Novant Health team members whose family members are pursuing higher education, since the ECPI partnership extends Novant Health-driven cost reduction to immediate family rather than limiting it to the team member alone.

The SNHU Partnership for Novant Health Team Members

Novant Health is also a confirmed Southern New Hampshire University workforce partner. Eligible Novant Health team members and their immediate family members qualify for a 10 percent SNHU tuition discount on more than 200 online undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs. The discount applies on top of SNHU’s already low base online tuition of $330 per credit (undergraduate) and $637 per credit (graduate), and stacks with Novant Health’s traditional Tuition Reimbursement Program to produce minimal out-of-pocket cost for most degree programs. Our review of SNHU’s accreditation, programs, and outcomes walks through institutional details for Novant Health team members evaluating SNHU.

How the SNHU stacking works for Novant team members

SNHU’s online undergraduate tuition runs approximately $330 per credit before the partnership discount. The 10 percent Novant Health discount reduces this to approximately $297 per credit. A 30-credit annual course load produces tuition of approximately $8,910 before the traditional tuition reimbursement, or $3,910 after applying the $5,250 Novant Health reimbursement. Team members pursuing 24 credits per year (a more sustainable pace for working healthcare professionals) pay approximately $7,128 in tuition before reimbursement, or $1,878 after the $5,250 reimbursement. The combination produces meaningful out-of-pocket savings without consuming the full annual reimbursement allowance.

SNHU programs that fit Novant Health career tracks

SNHU’s program portfolio aligns particularly well with Novant Health career tracks. The BS in Healthcare Administration, BS in Health Information Management, BS in Nursing (RN-to-BSN), BS in Operations Management, BS in Information Technology, and BS in Cybersecurity all support common Novant Health career paths. At the graduate level, SNHU offers an MBA with concentrations in Healthcare Management and Project Management, an MS in Healthcare Administration, an MS in Health Informatics, and an MS in Information Technology. The combination of accelerated 8-week terms, year-round enrollment, generous transfer credit policy (up to 90 credits accepted), and direct Novant Health partnership makes SNHU a strong default option for team members pursuing healthcare-aligned degrees outside the Future Forward catalog.

Future Forward vs. Traditional Reimbursement vs. Upward Mobility: Which to Use

Novant Health team members have access to three different funding mechanisms with different design intents. The right choice depends on the team member’s target credential, target institution, and career goal.

Factor	Future Forward	Traditional Reimbursement	Upward Mobility RN Fund
Annual benefit	Up to $5,250 (FT) / $2,625 (PT)	Up to $5,250 (30+ hrs/week)	Scholarship-based; varies
Payment model	Pre-paid to school	Reimbursement after completion	Scholarship grant
School flexibility	InStride partner catalog only	Any accredited institution	Accredited nursing programs
Best for	Healthcare-aligned degrees and certificates within partner catalog	Specialty graduate programs at preferred non-partner institutions	Team members pursuing RN licensure
Eligibility	Active FT and PT, including new hires	90-day waiting period; 30+ hrs/week	Active team members; varies by program
Cash flow burden	None (pre-paid model)	Upfront tuition + 60-90 day reimbursement lag	Varies by scholarship structure

When to use Future Forward

Future Forward should be the default first option for most Novant Health team members. The pre-paid model eliminates the cash flow burden, the partner catalog covers most healthcare-aligned credentials, and even new hires can participate without waiting periods. Team members pursuing pharmacy tech certifications, medical assistant credentials, healthcare administration bachelor’s, or general business bachelor’s degrees should start with Future Forward unless they have specific reasons to prefer a non-partner institution.

When to use traditional tuition reimbursement

The traditional program is the right choice when the team member’s target program is at a specific institution outside the InStride partner catalog. Examples include specialty master’s programs in clinical informatics at Johns Hopkins or University of Michigan, specialty regulatory affairs programs, programs at the team member’s local public university, or graduate-level CAHME-accredited Master of Healthcare Administration programs at universities not in the Future Forward catalog. The flexibility comes at the cost of the upfront-payment-then-reimbursement structure.

When to use the Upward Mobility RN Fund

Team members pursuing registered nursing licensure should pursue the Upward Mobility RN Fund as the primary funding source for nursing-specific coursework, supplemented by Future Forward or traditional reimbursement for general education prerequisites. The fund’s nursing-specific design produces stronger overall funding for nursing pathways than either Future Forward or traditional reimbursement alone.

Best Online Degrees by Novant Health Career Track

CNA, medical assistant, and patient services

Novant Health employs thousands of frontline support staff including certified nursing assistants, medical assistants, patient services representatives, and nursing support associates. Team members in these roles targeting advancement benefit from clear pathway credentialing. Per the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook for medical assistants and Occupational Outlook Handbook for registered nurses, career advancement from medical assistant to RN through accredited nursing programs produces substantial wage gains, with RN median wages running approximately $86,000 versus medical assistant median wages around $42,000.

The strongest pathway combinations include CNA-to-LPN-to-RN, medical assistant to ADN, or direct entry into accelerated BSN programs for team members with prior college credit. ECPI’s BSN program, available through the partnership at Novant Health discounted rates, fits this trajectory well. SNHU does not offer pre-licensure RN programs but offers RN-to-BSN bridge programs for team members who have already earned RN licensure through associate degree pathways.

Pharmacy technicians and pharmacy support

Novant Health pharmacy technicians support inpatient and outpatient pharmacy operations across the hospital system. Career advancement targets include senior pharmacy technician, pharmacy operations supervisor, and pharmacy management roles. Per the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook for pharmacy technicians, senior pharmacy technician roles typically require additional certifications and may require associate or bachelor’s-level education for management track advancement.

The Future Forward program specifically includes pharmacy technician credentials in its catalog, which makes the program particularly accessible for entry-level pharmacy support staff seeking initial certifications. For pharmacy operations management track, bachelor’s degrees in healthcare administration or business administration support advancement, with SNHU and ECPI both offering aligned online programs.

Nursing track advancement (RN to BSN to MSN)

Novant Health employs thousands of registered nurses across 19 hospitals and outpatient facilities. RNs holding associate degrees often pursue BSN credentials to qualify for senior clinical and management roles. Magnet-designated hospitals and many leading health systems prefer or require BSN preparation for nurse advancement. RN-to-BSN bridge programs typically complete in 12 to 18 months at CCNE-accredited institutions, including SNHU, WGU, ECPI, and most major public university online programs.

MSN programs support advancement into nurse practitioner roles, nurse leadership, nursing education, and clinical nurse specialist tracks. Specialty MSN concentrations include family nurse practitioner, psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, nurse anesthetist (CRNA), and nurse executive. CRNA programs in particular produce some of the highest-paid nursing roles, with median wages running $200,000+. Novant Health’s Clasp partnership for nurse anesthetists addresses the substantial student loan burden CRNA graduates typically carry.

Healthcare administration and operations

Novant Health corporate functions employ thousands of team members in operations, finance, HR, IT, marketing, and legal roles. Healthcare administration team members targeting advancement into senior management or executive roles benefit from bachelor’s or master’s degrees in healthcare administration. Per BLS data on medical and health services managers, median wages run approximately $118,000 with senior healthcare executives earning $200,000+. Our guide to the broader healthcare administration career trajectory walks through the long-term career path for healthcare administration credentials.

Health information management and IT

Health information management (HIM) team members support clinical documentation, coding, and EHR governance across Novant Health operations. Per the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook for medical records and health information specialists, senior HIM roles typically require bachelor’s degrees and certification through AHIMA. The Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) credential is the gold-standard for HIM management roles. SNHU’s BS in Health Information Management aligns with this credential pathway. For broader IT career advancement, our guide to which online IT degree has the best career outlook walks through the IT-track decision framework.

Should You Use Novant Health’s Education Benefits?

For Novant Health team members planning extended healthcare careers, the answer is yes, and the question is which combination of programs to use rather than whether to participate. The combination of Future Forward (debt-free pre-paid programs in the InStride catalog), traditional tuition reimbursement (any-accredited-institution flexibility for specialty programs), the Upward Mobility RN Fund (RN advancement), the ECPI partnership (15 percent scholarship match), the SNHU partnership (10 percent tuition discount), and the Clasp nurse anesthetist program produces one of the most comprehensive employer education benefit packages among Carolinas-area healthcare systems. The Complete Guide to Earning an Accredited Online Degree as an Adult Learner provides additional context for evaluating online program fit before applying.

The strongest use cases are bachelor’s completion through Future Forward for team members in frontline roles seeking advancement (pharmacy technicians, medical assistants, patient services representatives), RN licensure pathways through the Upward Mobility RN Fund supplemented by Future Forward or traditional reimbursement for prerequisites, BSN completion at SNHU or ECPI for working RNs through the partnership discounts plus traditional tuition reimbursement, and specialty master’s programs in healthcare administration, health informatics, or clinical leadership through traditional reimbursement at preferred institutions outside the Future Forward catalog. For broader context, our guides to the fastest online healthcare degrees for adult learners and healthcare administration jobs walk through accelerated paths and career trajectories for healthcare-aligned degrees.

Team members with limited cash flow should default to Future Forward whenever the target program is in the partner catalog, since the pre-paid model eliminates the upfront tuition burden that affects traditional reimbursement programs. Team members pursuing specialty graduate credentials should evaluate whether the traditional reimbursement program plus federal aid produces manageable funding even with the upfront-payment requirement. Team members on RN advancement pathways should pursue all three programs in combination (Upward Mobility plus Future Forward or traditional plus federal aid) to produce the lowest possible out-of-pocket cost. Our guide to how adult students can graduate with minimal debt walks through the cost-management strategies that work for working adults across these scenarios. The Complete Guide to Earning an Accredited Online Degree as an Adult Learner provides additional context on combining employer benefits with federal aid.

Start Your Online Degree at SNHU With Your Novant Health Discount

Novant Health team members and immediate family qualify for a 10 percent tuition discount at Southern New Hampshire University on more than 200 online programs in healthcare administration, business, IT, and other fields. Combined with Novant Health’s Tuition Reimbursement Program, the SNHU partnership produces minimal out-of-pocket cost for most degree programs. Visit the SNHU partner page to confirm your discount eligibility and request more information about programs that fit your Novant Health career trajectory

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Andrew Belasco

A licensed counselor and published researcher, Andrew's experience in the field of college admissions and transition spans two decades. He has previously served as a high school counselor, consultant and author for Kaplan Test Prep, and advisor to U.S. Congress, reporting on issues related to college admissions and financial aid.