Registration and Payment Policies

Graduate School USA strives to make its registration policies and procedures as simple as possible so that you can quickly and easily register for open enrollment courses. Following these procedures maximizes your chance of enrolling in the class you want, when you want it. Register early; class sizes are limited and classes often fill quickly! If you have questions or need additional information, please contact our Customer Relations Center.

We also conduct hundreds of on-site contract courses each year and can create customized solutions to meet your specific organizational needs.

1. Register Online with a Credit Card - The fastest way to register, and to obtain the most current information about a class Visit our online course catalog and select the class you want to take. When you click on the register button, our website will lead you through a secure online registration process. To complete the online registration you will need the participant’s contact information, including current email address, and the credit card payment information to complete the online registration. Payment by credit card is required for online registration. Online registrations are processed immediately; reserve your place in class using this convenient and secure registration method. Here’s how to get started.

2. Register By Telephone with a Credit Card – Another fast way to register and get the most current information about a class, call our Customer Relations Center to register to reserve your place in the class. Payment by credit card is required for telephone registrations. Phone registrations are processed immediately and provide a quick and convenient way to ensure that you secure a place in class.

3. Other Registration Methods (Fax, Mail, In Person) – Allow at least 3 workdays for processing If you already know your class title, date, and location, and prefer not to register online or by phone, you can register by fax or mail. Since class sizes for most of our open enrollment courses are limited and classes often fill up quickly, please note that it could take up to three workdays to process your registration application after we receive it.

   • Fax Fax a completed and signed company purchase order to our Customer Relations Center at (866) FAX-GRAD /(866) 221-6761. A government training authorization form (e.g., SF-182) can be submitted in lieu of a purchase order. If payment will be made via credit card, be sure to include all of the credit card information on the government form or company purchase order: type of card, cardholder’s name and telephone number, card number, and expiration date.

   • Email Email an electronic file of your completed and signed company purchase order, government training authorization form (e.g., SF-182), or Graduate School USA Registration Form to our Customer Relations Center. If payment will be made via credit card, we recommend for security purposes that you do not include any credit card numbers on the emailed forms. Please include a phone number so we may contact you to obtain your credit card information securely over the phone.

   • Mail Mail your completed and signed company purchase order, government training authorization form (e.g., SF-182), or Graduate School USA Registration Form to:
     Graduate School USA
     Attn: Registration Processing-CRC
     600 Maryland Avenue SW
     Washington, DC 20024-2520

   • In Person If you prefer, you can visit one of our locations and we will be happy to register you!

4. Substitutions – You may substitute another participant at any time before the class begins. Please contact our Customer Relations Center to make the substitution and provide the contact information for the substitute. You may have to submit amended paperwork if the payment method for the original enrollment is a purchase order or government training authorization form.

5. Cancellations

By Graduate School USA

Graduate School USA reserves the right to cancel a class session. If circumstances cause us to cancel a class, we will inform the participant if we need to cancel, but will retain the prepaid tuition or registration forms until the participant or employer informs us to either: (1) refund the money or return the registration forms; (2) transfer the prepaid tuition amount or registration forms toward tuition for another scheduled course for the same person; or (3) transfer the prepaid tuition amount or registration forms toward tuition for another scheduled course for another person.

By the Participant

All enrollment cancellation requests must be submitted in writing by email or fax to our Customer Relations Center. If you do not cancel your registration in a timely manner, you will be responsible for the full tuition. To judge whether or not a request is timely, Graduate School USA will use the minimum advance notice requirements listed in our refunds policy.

1. Transfers

A transfer is defined as the movement of your registration to a future session of the same course. If you are interested in transferring your registration to a future session of the same course, please fax or email your request to our Customer Relations Center. You may transfer your registration to another class that begins within six months from the start date of the original registration. A transfer will be processed only if requested in writing, submitted in a timely manner, payment is made for any additional fees, and space is available in the requested class. Only one transfer request will be honored. The transferred registration can be used by anyone in your organization if the tuition was paid by your employer. Refunds will not be made for transfers that originated after any official refund deadline.

Graduate School USA reserves the right to judge the timeliness of a transfer request. To judge whether or not a request is timely, Graduate School USA will use the minimum advance notice requirements listed in our refunds policy. If the transfer cannot be accommodated, the respective refunds policy for the course will apply.

You cannot transfer your registration to a different course. You must cancel your registration in the first course and then register for the new course. See our cancellations policy.

1. Attendance and Course Hours Courses are conducted from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., except for most CPE designated courses, which run from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Participants are expected to complete the entire course and should make their travel arrangements accordingly. Failure to attend the entire course may result in your not receiving a certificate of completion for the course.

2. Reserved Rights Graduate School USA makes every effort to ensure each class is delivered as advertised. However, we reserve the right to make changes to any of the products or programs described on our website or our published catalogs/brochures without notice or liability. The changes could include modifying course content and materials for continuous course improvement and/or academic obligation; changing tuition prices, registration terms and conditions; cancelling a class due to unforeseen circumstances or low enrollment; and making reasonable changes to class start and end dates, timetables and locations. Graduate School USA endeavors to give enrollees as much advance notice as possible of any change to their enrollment. If Graduate School USA must cancel a class or change the class dates or locations, enrolled participants will be informed immediately. In the event of changes made to our products or programs, the School's sole liability is limited to the refunding of any tuition or fees paid for any cancelled or rescheduled classes, and Graduate School USA is not responsible for any enrollee's incidental or consequential loss.

1.) Payment Methods
Payment must be received at time of registration.

• Online Registrations Registrations made on the Graduate School USA website require advance payment by credit card (American Express, Discover, Diners Club, MasterCard, VISA and Government purchase cards) at the time of registration.

• Registrations Submitted by Mail, Fax, Phone or in Person Payment options for registrations submitted by mail, fax, phone or in person are:

  • Credit card (American Express, Discover, Diners Club, MasterCard, VISA and Government purchase cards)
  • Money Order, Check or Cashiers Check
  • Electronic fund transfer (EFT)*
  • Government training authorization form (e.g., SF182)
  • Purchase order

Pre-payment is required prior to rendering of services. To ensure your place in the class, submit purchase orders or Government training authorization forms at least three (3) weeks prior to the start of the class. Billings for registrations made by purchase order or Government training authorization form will take place immediately upon registration. Federal departments and agencies have the authority to authorize advance payment of training-related expenses such as tuition, per diem, travel, and other expenses essential to training.

Additional information and guidance is found in the U.S. Office of Personnel Management Training Policy Handbook and at 31 U.S.C. §3324 (1997), 5 U.S.C. §4109(a)(2) (1997), and 41 Comp. Gen. 626 (1962).

* Electronic fund transfer payments can be made with Automated Clearing House (ACH) payments processed through the Vendor Express Program. To initiate the electronic funds transfer, the Federal agency should complete the "Agency Information Section" of SF 3881 (ACH Vendor/Miscellaneous Payment Enrollment Form) and fax it to (202) 479-4895. If you have questions or need additional information, please call the Graduate School USA Accounting and Finance Office at (202) 14-3373.

• Course Materials The tuition for our open enrollment daytime classroom courses includes all required materials unless otherwise noted in the course description. Books and/or other course materials may have to be purchased separately for our Evening and Weekend course and our distance education courses. If course materials or textbooks are not included as part of the tuition, the confirmation notice will provide information concerning any textbooks or course materials.

2.) Required Registration Information
Tuition fees and course schedules are subject to change without notice. Please refer to the course catalog on our website for the most current information. Submitting the following information will facilitate processing of your registration:

For all registration methods, please be sure to include the following:

• Participant email address
• Participant name, preferred mailing address, telephone, and fax numbers and position title
• Course title, 9-character course code and, if applicable, the date(s) and location of the course
• If payment will be made via credit card, be sure to include the following credit card information: type of card, cardholder’s name and telephone number, card number, and expiration date

If your employer is paying the course tuition, please ensure the following are included on the company purchase order or government training authorization form:

• Authorized signature of the official responsible for approving the training
• Approving official’s name, preferred mailing address, telephone number, fax number, and position title
• Billing address and billing telephone number
• Purchase order number or billing reference number

FEDERAL EMPLOYEES RECEIVING TRAINING OR EDUCATIONAL SERVICE FROM GRADUATE SCHOOL USA WHILE ON OFFICIAL TIME
When a person employed by the federal government attends a class at Graduate School USA, where a federal employee receives educational services from Graduate School USA, or where any other such educational or training service provided by Graduate School USA to an individual or group is subject to the Government Employees Training Act or is otherwise paid for in whole or part by the employees’ federal agency or another federal agency, Graduate School USA will consider such employee to be on official duty during the time such educational service or training is being provided. Graduate School USA will respond to requests by such employees’ agency or other authorized federal official for information regarding such employee or employees, such as hours of attendance, completion of the course or class, and other educational or training-based information.

3.) Discounts
If you are interested in achieving cost savings for large groups, please check the information concerning our on-site contract courses and customized solutions to meet specific organizational needs. Graduate School USA is a GSA Contract Holder.

4.) Returned Checks
There is a $25 processing fee for returned checks.

5.) Refunds
See details for Refunds

6.) Prepayment Account
Graduate School USA can establish a prepayment account for an organization that wants to purchase training units. Once purchased, training units can be used to pay for open enrollment registrations and/or on-site contract classes. To establish an account or for more information, please contact our Customer Relations Center.

1.) Acknowledgment Notification
You will receive an email acknowledging receipt of your registration request as soon as it is received and processed. If you have not received the acknowledgment notification email in a timely manner, please contact our Customer Relations Center to verify that we have received your registration. Also, please see our accessibility policy if you need special accommodations or assistance.

2.) Confirmation Notification
As soon as the decision is made to conduct the class, you will be sent an email confirming the class will be conducted. The confirmation notification email will include additional information concerning the class date(s), start time(s), location, and any other information related to the class. If course materials or textbooks are not included as part of the tuition for the class, the confirmation notification will provide information concerning any textbooks or course materials you must bring to the class. Unless otherwise noted in the confirmation notice, we do not include lodging and meals in the tuition fee. The decision concerning the status of a class is typically made as noted below:

• For Daytime Classroom, Leadership Development Programs, and Distance Education Courses We will send you an email confirming your registration at least 14 calendar days prior to the class start date.

• For Evening and Weekend Classroom Courses (Washington, DC only) We will send you an email confirming your registration no later than 7 calendar days prior to the class start date.

Please do not make any nonrefundable travel or hotel arrangements until you are notified by Graduate School USA that your class has been confirmed.

3.) Class is full or has been rescheduled
If the class is full, or has been rescheduled, you will be notified by a customer service representative.

4.) Cancellation Notification
You will receive an email notifying you that the class has been cancelled if the class is cancelled due to low enrollment or for some other reason.

1.) Who Can Enroll
All non-credit programs are open to those who are at least eighteen (18) years of age, have a high school diploma or a GED, and meet any other stated admission requirement(s) of the specific course or program. While no admission application or fee is required, we do recommend that you register as early as possible as classes often fill up early. Please note that our leadership development programs require special application packages. International students are welcome to enroll in any Graduate School USA course by following the same registration procedures as all participants; however, Graduate School USA does not issue student visas (i.e., I-20 forms) to international students. Graduate School USA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

We make every practical effort to ensure that our programs are accessible to physically challenged participants and participants with special needs. We must receive your payment or complete payment information before we can process a registration application.

2.) Prerequisites
Some courses have prerequisites included with the course description. For these courses, participants are responsible for meeting the required prerequisites or having the appropriate prior experience.

3.) Course Levels
The first numeric character in the course code number designates the course level as defined in the course level numbering system used by Graduate School USA. If you have any questions or are in doubt about a course prerequisite or level, please contact our Customer Relations Center before registering.

We recognize that your privacy is important and have adopted a privacy policy that demonstrates our firm commitment to your privacy and the protection of your information.