Verizon Lifelong Learning: Online Degrees for Verizon Employees

Verizon offers $8,000 per year in tuition assistance to full-time employees. That is a higher annual cap than almost any major U.S. employer, including AT&T, T-Mobile, Comcast, Walmart, Starbucks, and most of the large employers that have built tuition benefit programs in the last decade. Part-time employees working 20 to 29 hours per week receive up to $4,000 annually. Eligibility begins on day one for anyone working at least 20 hours per week, with no tenure requirement.

The $8,000 figure is worth pausing on for a moment. The IRS Section 127 tax-free limit for employer education assistance is $5,250 per year. Verizon’s cap is roughly 50 percent above that threshold, which means the company pays out benefit amounts that go beyond what most employers will offer. This is a genuinely strong starting point for any V Teamer considering a degree, a certification, or any form of continuing education.

What makes Verizon’s education support actually interesting, though, is that the tuition assistance program is only one of several tiers the company operates. Depending on what you are trying to accomplish, the most useful Verizon learning benefit to you might be a completely free edX professional certificate you can complete in a month, an IT or cybersecurity certification prep course through the Get Certified program, or a full bachelor’s degree funded through the stacked combination of tuition assistance and a university partnership that eliminates out-of-pocket tuition entirely. This guide walks through each tier of commitment, what Verizon offers at each level, and how to match the right benefit to the goal you have in mind.

For the broader framework on planning an online degree as a working adult, our Complete Guide to Earning an Accredited Online Degree as an Adult Learner covers the full decision framework. It applies regardless of which Verizon learning benefit you decide to use.

Tier 1: Free edX Certificates Through Verizon Skill Forward

The lowest-commitment tier of Verizon’s education portfolio is also the most accessible: Verizon Skill Forward, which provides one full year of free access to a curated catalog of edX professional certificate programs. The program is part of Citizen Verizon, Verizon’s corporate social responsibility initiative aimed at preparing 500,000 individuals for in-demand jobs by 2030. And here is the unusual detail that distinguishes this tier from almost every other employer education benefit: Skill Forward is not limited to Verizon employees. Anyone in the United States who is at least 17 years old can apply.

Per the official Verizon Skill Forward registration portal, accepted participants receive 12 months of access to more than 250 courses spanning 84 unique professional certificate programs. No Verizon account is required. No banking or credit card information is collected. The courses are self-paced and expert-led, developed by universities and industry experts in edX’s partner network, and participants earn instructor-signed certificates upon completion.

What Skill Forward covers

The program focuses on certificates in fields where demand is genuinely high and where a 3 to 12 month certificate can meaningfully shift someone’s career prospects. The concentrations include:

• Artificial intelligence and machine learning fundamentals
• Coding and programming languages, including Python, JavaScript, and front-end web development
• Cybersecurity and information technology foundations
• Data science and analytics
• Business and project management
• Communication and professional writing
• Finance fundamentals

Skill Forward also includes select Spanish-language programs, which is meaningful for workforce accessibility. Participants gain access to edX’s Career Engagement Network, which includes job boards, resume tools, networking resources, and industry workshops beyond just the courses themselves.

Who Tier 1 fits

This tier is the right starting point for several situations: a current Verizon employee testing whether they enjoy learning a specific field before committing to a full degree program; someone considering a career change who wants to validate interest in tech before enrolling in more expensive coursework; a family member of a Verizon employee exploring options; or anyone in the U.S. who qualifies under the basic eligibility rules. Since the program costs nothing to the participant and requires no ongoing commitment beyond completing the coursework within the 12 month access window, the risk of trying it is essentially zero.

For career-changers thinking about moving from retail or restaurant work into tech, Skill Forward is a genuinely useful on-ramp. The certificates alone are not equivalent to a bachelor’s degree for most hiring purposes, but they do demonstrate skill acquisition and serve as evidence of commitment to learning. For a broader view of how to plan a career transition through education, our guide on returning to college after 30 walks through the practical considerations.

Tier 2: The Get Certified Program for IT and Security Certifications

Once you are a Verizon employee, the next tier available to you is the Get Certified program, which provides preparation courses and practice tests for industry-recognized certifications in general business, IT, networking, and security. This program is hosted inside Verizon’s Learning Portal 2.0 and is designed specifically for V Teamers pursuing professional credentials relevant to Verizon’s business and broader career paths in technology and telecommunications.

The Get Certified program is not the same as paying for the certifications themselves. What it provides is the preparation infrastructure: study courses, practice exam access, and supporting materials that help V Teamers pass certification exams on their own. For certifications that the employee decides to pursue formally after preparation, the Tuition Assistance Program covers the exam fees and related costs up to the annual cap, as long as the certification is approved through the tuition assistance process.

Certifications commonly pursued by V Teamers

The certifications most relevant to Verizon’s business and career growth paths include:

• CompTIA Network+ and Security+ for foundational IT and cybersecurity roles
• Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) for network engineering
• AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner and AWS Certified Solutions Architect for cloud infrastructure roles
• Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) for advanced cybersecurity
• Project Management Professional (PMP) for project and program management
• ITIL Foundation for IT service management
• Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt for process improvement

Each of these certifications represents concrete career advancement within Verizon for technical staff, retail staff moving into network operations, or business staff moving into technical project management. Most can be completed in a few months of part-time study using the Get Certified preparation materials combined with official exam prep resources.

Who Tier 2 fits

Get Certified is the right fit for V Teamers who are not currently pursuing a formal degree but want to build concrete technical skills that translate to promotions or role transitions within Verizon. It is also useful as a complement to degree programs: an employee pursuing a bachelor’s in information technology can use Get Certified materials to earn industry certifications alongside the degree, making them substantially more hireable than a degree alone would.

Tier 3: The $8,000 Tuition Assistance Program

The centerpiece of Verizon’s education portfolio is the Tuition Assistance Program, which funds accredited associate and bachelor’s degree programs for eligible V Teamers. The specifics are straightforward:

Feature	Detail
Full-time cap (30+ hours/week)	Up to $8,000 per calendar year
Part-time cap (20-29 hours/week)	Up to $4,000 per calendar year
Minimum hours requirement	20 hours per week
Eligibility start date	Day one of employment
Mid-year hires (after June 30)	Prorated to half of the annual benefit amount in the hire year
Approved programs	Associate and bachelor’s degrees at accredited institutions, online or in person
Pre-approval required	Yes, before enrolling in coursework
Academic advising	Provided at no cost through Pearson Accelerated partnership

The $8,000 cap matters specifically because it exceeds the IRS Section 127 tax-free limit of $5,250 per year. Per IRS Publication 970, employer education assistance up to $5,250 per calendar year is excluded from the employee’s taxable wages. Assistance above that threshold is generally taxable as wages and reported on the W-2, unless specific conditions are met that allow continued tax-free treatment. Verizon employees receiving the full $8,000 annual benefit should expect some portion of the amount above $5,250 to be treated as taxable income, though the exact tax cost depends on the employee’s tax bracket and how the company structures the benefit.

For an employee in the 22 percent federal tax bracket, taxes on the $2,750 above the Section 127 threshold work out to roughly $605 per year. That is a real cost, but it is also a cost paid on benefit dollars the employee is actually receiving. The net $7,395 after taxes is still substantially more than what most employer programs provide at their fully tax-free $5,250 caps.

The Pearson Academic Advising partnership

A feature that sets Verizon’s program apart from most employer tuition benefits is the Pearson Accelerated partnership that provides academic advising and Global Digital Classroom access for undergraduate degrees at no cost to the employee. Most employer tuition programs leave school selection and academic planning entirely to the employee. Verizon provides trained academic advisors who help V Teamers choose programs, map transfer credits, sequence coursework, and solve administrative problems. For working adults who have not navigated college admissions recently, this advising is genuinely valuable and worth using.

Stacking with university partnerships for zero out-of-pocket tuition

The real magic of Verizon’s program happens when the $8,000 tuition assistance is combined with specific university partnerships Verizon has negotiated. The two most financially powerful stacking opportunities currently available are:

University of Arizona Global Campus (UAGC) Full Tuition Grant

Per UAGC’s Verizon partnership page, eligible Verizon employees and immediate family members who enroll at UAGC receive a reduced tuition rate of $408 per credit for associate and bachelor’s programs. UAGC also offers a Full Tuition Grant that, combined with Verizon’s tuition assistance, covers the remaining tuition costs entirely for undergraduate programs. The practical result is that a Verizon employee can complete a UAGC bachelor’s degree at zero tuition cost, with only books, fees, and course materials as out-of-pocket expenses. Doctoral programs do not qualify for the Full Tuition Grant.

Post University Premier Partner program

The Post University Verizon Premier Partner program offers reduced tuition rates, deferred tuition, and zero percent interest payment plans for Verizon employees and family members living in the same household. Post University is HLC-accredited and offers more than 50 degrees across associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels. The reduced partner rates combined with Verizon’s tuition assistance can produce substantially lower total program costs than retail tuition rates would suggest.

Other partnerships worth knowing about

For graduate programs specifically, Verizon has a partnership with Stevens Institute of Technology, an R2 research university in Hoboken, New Jersey, that provides Verizon employees with discounts on part-time graduate study, application fee waivers, a no-cost deferred tuition bridge plan, and dedicated care center support for admissions and billing. Stevens is particularly strong in engineering, computer science, financial engineering, and technology management, making it a strong fit for Verizon employees pursuing graduate degrees in technical fields.

What tuition assistance does not cover

The Tuition Assistance Program has specific limits worth understanding:

• Graduate degrees are generally not covered under the standard Tuition Assistance Program, which focuses on associate and bachelor’s programs. Graduate coursework may be supported through separate programs depending on role.
• Non-accredited programs or unaccredited coursework are not covered.
• Coursework not approved through the pre-approval process before enrollment is not reimbursable.
• Travel, room and board, and other non-tuition expenses are not covered.

Online Schools Worth Considering for Verizon Employees

Verizon’s Tuition Assistance Program covers accredited institutions broadly, not just partner schools. For V Teamers who want to attend a school outside the UAGC or Post University partnerships, the following schools combine strong accreditation, reasonable per-credit rates that work well with the $8,000 annual cap, and program alignment with common Verizon career paths in technology, business, and operations.

Western Governors University (WGU)

WGU is NWCCU-accredited and uses a competency-based model with flat six-month term tuition of approximately $4,270. For Verizon employees pursuing IT, cybersecurity, software development, data analytics, or business programs, WGU is frequently the most cost-efficient choice. The flat-term rate means the $8,000 Verizon cap covers an entire year of WGU tuition with roughly $270 per year left over, effectively producing a fully funded degree in any WGU program. For a complete review, see our Western Governors University online college review.

Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU)

SNHU is NECHE-accredited and offers a flat $330 per credit undergraduate rate. At that rate, the Verizon $8,000 cap covers approximately 24 credits per year, effectively a full year of full-time study or a substantial part-time courseload. SNHU’s technology, business, cybersecurity, communications, and accounting programs all align with Verizon career paths.

Purdue University Global

Purdue Global is HLC-accredited and part of the Purdue University system. For Verizon employees targeting promotion into corporate or leadership roles where a public-university credential carries weight, Purdue Global’s brand recognition is meaningful. The ExcelTrack competency-based option can accelerate time to degree for motivated students. For a full review, see our Purdue Global online college review.

To compare accredited online programs across the schools Verizon employees typically consider, our online program explorer tool lets you filter by cost, transfer credit policy, major, and schedule flexibility. For cost context, How Much Does an Online Bachelor’s Degree Cost? covers the per-credit rate comparison across common online schools.

Building Your Plan

The practical way to approach Verizon’s education benefits is to work through the tiers in order from lowest commitment to highest, and decide where your actual goal lands.

If you are still exploring

Start with Verizon Skill Forward. One year of free edX certificates costs nothing, requires no long-term commitment, and gives you real exposure to fields like AI, cybersecurity, or data analytics before you commit to a formal degree. Many V Teamers use Skill Forward as a low-risk way to test whether a field interests them enough to pursue a full degree.

If you have a specific certification goal

Use the Get Certified program for preparation materials and practice tests. Submit a pre-approval request through the Tuition Assistance Program for the certification exam fees and any formal prep courses. A $300 certification fee reimbursed through tuition assistance leaves $7,700 of the annual cap available for additional education in the same year.

If you are pursuing a full degree

The strongest move is to stack tuition assistance with a partner school discount. UAGC’s Full Tuition Grant combined with Verizon’s $8,000 benefit produces zero out-of-pocket tuition for a bachelor’s degree. Post University’s Premier Partner rates produce similar outcomes for many programs. For employees whose target program is not at UAGC or Post, the $8,000 cap alone covers a full year of tuition at WGU and a substantial majority of tuition at SNHU and Purdue Global.

Paired with federal aid

Regardless of which tier of Verizon benefit you use, filing FAFSA annually is worthwhile. Pell Grant funding applies to many working-adult students in ways they do not always anticipate, and Pell is applied before employer benefits in the tuition calculation. For Pell-eligible V Teamers, combining Pell Grant funding with Verizon’s $8,000 cap and a partner school discount produces education paths with near-zero net cost. Our guide on FAFSA for Online Students covers the filing process for working adults.

Common Questions About Verizon’s Learning Benefits

Is the $8,000 cap actually $8,000, or do taxes eat into it?

The cap is $8,000 in employer-paid benefit. The portion above $5,250 per year is generally treated as taxable wages under current IRS rules, which means the employee pays income tax on approximately $2,750 of the benefit. In a 22 percent federal bracket, that is roughly $605 in annual taxes. The net after-tax value to the employee is therefore approximately $7,395, still well above what most employers offer at their fully tax-free $5,250 caps.

Can I use the benefit for graduate degrees?

The standard Tuition Assistance Program focuses on associate and bachelor’s programs. Graduate coursework may be supported through role-specific programs, educational partnerships like the Stevens Institute agreement, or other paths depending on the employee’s position and career track. Employees pursuing graduate degrees should work through their manager and Verizon’s benefits portal to identify the specific mechanism that applies to their situation.

Does Skill Forward require me to be a Verizon customer or employee?

No. Skill Forward is open to any U.S. resident age 17 or older. It is part of Verizon’s corporate social responsibility commitment rather than an employee-only benefit. Current and prospective V Teamers can use it as a test drive before applying for a Verizon job, and family members of V Teamers can use it on their own application.

What happens to unused tuition assistance at the end of the year?

The $8,000 (or $4,000 for part-time) annual cap operates on a calendar-year basis. Unused amounts generally do not roll over to the following year. Employees planning degree coursework should map their enrollment schedule against the calendar year to maximize benefit utilization, potentially shifting courses between late December and early January to spread tuition charges across two calendar years.

Do I have to stay at Verizon after graduating?

Verizon’s Tuition Assistance Program does not publicly impose a post-graduation service commitment. Coursework already paid for under tuition assistance is not clawed back when an employee leaves. Active employment is required at the time of reimbursement payment, so coursework completed in the weeks before separation may not be reimbursed if the employee has left by the time reimbursement processes.

How does Verizon’s program compare to AT&T and T-Mobile?

Verizon’s $8,000 cap is at the high end of the telecommunications industry. AT&T offers tuition assistance with various caps depending on role and bargaining status, often around $5,250 per year for eligible employees. T-Mobile has historically offered tuition reimbursement programs for managers and select roles, with caps in the $2,500 to $5,250 range depending on classification. Verizon’s program is generally the most generous of the three on annual cap, and the Pearson academic advising partnership and UAGC Full Tuition Grant stacking are features not commonly matched by the other two.

Can family members use any Verizon education benefits?

Skill Forward is available to family members independently since it is open to any U.S. resident. The UAGC Full Tuition Grant and Post University Premier Partner rates specifically extend to immediate family members of eligible Verizon employees, which makes them unusually family-friendly benefits compared to the employee-only structure of most employer tuition programs. The core Tuition Assistance Program, however, applies only to the employee.

Getting Started

For a V Teamer planning to use Verizon’s education benefits, the practical sequence is:

• Start Skill Forward for exploratory learning if you are still figuring out what field you want to pursue. It costs nothing and commits you to nothing beyond the coursework you choose to complete.
• File FAFSA for the current academic year at studentaid.gov. Pell Grant funding stacks productively with Verizon’s benefit and should not be overlooked.
• Contact Pearson Academic Advising through Verizon’s program to discuss your goals and map a specific program. This advising is free and genuinely useful for working adults navigating school selection.
• If you are pursuing a bachelor’s, price out your target program at UAGC, Post University, WGU, SNHU, and Purdue Global. The $8,000 annual cap produces very different outcomes across these schools, and the partner discounts at UAGC and Post can eliminate out-of-pocket tuition entirely.
• Submit your pre-approval request through Verizon’s benefits portal before enrolling in coursework. Pre-approval is required for reimbursement eligibility and also triggers the Pearson advising support.

Verizon’s combination of a high annual cap, day-one eligibility, part-time inclusivity, and specific university partnerships that can drive out-of-pocket tuition to zero makes this one of the more generous and usable employer education programs in the United States. V Teamers who work through the tiers strategically and combine the employer benefit with federal aid and partner discounts can complete a bachelor’s degree at very low net cost and build certifications along the way that compound the credential value.

To explore accredited online programs that fit Verizon’s Tuition Assistance structure and partner school opportunities, our online program explorer tool lets you filter by cost, major, transfer credit policy, and schedule. For the complete framework on planning an online degree as a working adult covering accreditation, financial aid, and school selection, start with our Complete Guide to Earning an Accredited Online Degree as an Adult Learner.