Build a career based on your potential, not your bank account. We invest in your success upfront. You pay a flat monthly fee only when you’re employed.
Pay only after you’re hired
Only pay when you are in a job making above the income threshold. If you’re making less, payments pause.
Make payments as you earn
You’ll make fixed monthly payments for 24-60 months while you’re working. Payment is capped with no interest.
How much does it cost?
IT Support
Data Analytics
Java Development
Income threshold You won’t pay unless your income is above this level.
$40,000
$40,000
$50,000
Monthly payment
$95
$95
$350
Number of payments
60
60
24
Payment cap This is the maximum you’d pay if your income stays above the threshold for the entire contract length.
$5,700
$5,700
$8,400
Contract length Your payment obligation is waived after this time has passed – even if you’ve paid nothing.
5 Years
5 Years
4 Years
How does it work?
1
Apply to the program
Apply to the program and learn more. We provide Success Sharing education throughout the application process. If you’re accepted, you begin the “Foundations” phase, our trial period, to see if Merit America is right for you. You don’t sign anything at this point.
2
Immerse yourself
The “Immersions” phase of the program comes next, where most of the technical course content is taught. This phase lasts 10-20 weeks.
Before entering this phase, you have to sign the Success Sharing Agreement.
3
Search for jobs
“Placement” begins after the technical learning is complete. During this 3-month phase you interview with our employer partners and search for jobs with your coach.
Thirty days before the end of placement, you’ll get your first payment reminder.
4
Start your career
Once you’re in a job with a salary at or above the income threshold, you’ll start making set monthly payments. If you never land a job, you’ll never pay.
Frequently asked questions
We understand that life can get in the way. We also realize that our program isn’t for everyone. If you leave during the foundations stage of the program, you won’t sign the Success Sharing agreement and you’ll never pay Merit America. After foundations, your Success Sharing Cap will be calculated depending on how long you were in the program. The Success Sharing Cap will be spread over the duration of the monthly payments which you would only pay when you’re in a job making at least the income threshold for your track.
You’ll sign the Success Sharing Agreement as you transition from “Foundations” to “Immersion.” Up until this point, you will have many opportunities to read more about the Success Sharing Program details. After the end of “Immersions,” the agreement kicks in:
Two months after the end of “Immersion,” you’ll receive your first payment reminder.
Four-five years after the end of “Immersion,” the agreement ends, even if you’ve paid nothing.
Money from the Success Sharing Program goes directly back into helping the next class of Merit America learners build their careers. Payments from the program only covers a portion of your training costs — the rest comes from philanthropy and other revenue sources.
The Success Sharing Program won’t get in the way of your life. Anytime your income is under the income threshold, payments pause. This could be for any reason — from starting a family to going back to school. After 5 years, your obligation is waived, even if you paid us nothing.
The Success Sharing Program is currently the only way for learners to pay for our program.
Loans and Income Share Agreements (ISAs) have their merits, but they don’t work for everyone. The Success Sharing Program is different in the following ways:
Incentives are aligned. Many bootcamps, colleges, and tech schools will charge you no matter what. But with the Success Sharing Program, we’ll only charge you if you get a positive outcome. That way, your investment in our programs is always ROI positive.
Downside protection. You don’t pay anything until you’re in a job making $40k or more per year. If you want to go back to school, you don’t pay anything. If life gets in the way of working, you don’t pay anything. You don’t have to claim bankruptcy to get out of our payments, they stop after 5 years.
No profit margins. The Success Sharing Program isn’t a profit vehicle. Our goal is to serve as many learners as possible. The Success Sharing Program only covers part of our program costs, the rest comes from philanthropy and other revenue sources.
Fixed fees. With an ISA, you pay a percentage of your income every month. This requires learners to forecast their future income to have any idea of their total cost. Also, if you get a great job, you can end up paying a lot more than the program cost — often 1.5-2.5 times the tuition cost. We charge everyone a fixed-fee even if you are making significantly more than the income threshold.
When you sign the Success Sharing Agreement, you agree to report your income by sharing documentation including but not limited to:
A copy of any pay stub containing your pre-tax salary information
An offer letter from your employer containing your pre-tax salary information
Your yearly tax returns
Each time you request a payment deferral, you must report your income. Deferrals are granted for three months at a time.
