Getting Started

Guidelines on Getting Started – US

Overview

Understanding eligibility, budget and application process

Career Choice is an education benefit that empowers eligible employees to learn new skills for career success at Amazon or elsewhere. To get started, visit the Amazon Career Choice website, or navigate to it from the A to Z app on your personal device (open the app -> go to the “More” page -> click on Career Choice).

Career Choice Program Eligibility

You are eligible to participate in the program if you have been employed as a regular full-time (40+ hours per week), reduced time (30+ hours per week), or part-time (20-29 hours per week) hourly L1-L4 blue badge employee for 90 continuous days. This includes all hourly non-exempt FC, CS, corporate, AWS, Amazon Fresh Stores, Amazon Books, Amazon 4-star, Amazon Pop Up, Amazon Go and certain retail and eligible subsidiary associates. Eligible subsidiaries include A9, A100, A2Z, Audible, Brilliance, ComiXology, CreateSpace, Fabric.com, Goodreads, Amazon Pharmacy, Shopbop, Ring, and Woot.

Common questions related to eligibility:

When can I apply to the Career Choice program?

Your first day of class must occur on or AFTER you become eligible for Career Choice, which is 90 days after your first day of employment with Amazon. You can apply for funding starting on day one of your employment with Amazon, but if your first day of class is BEFORE your 90-day eligibility begins, you will be responsible for the cost of the program. Amazon Career Choice will not reimburse tuition or fees incurred for any classes that started prior to your 90-day eligibility.

If I used to work at Amazon and came back, will my eligibility waiting period pick up where it left off?

No, if you were previously employed by Amazon and were recently re-hired, you will be eligible for Career Choice 90 days after your new hire date. If you were previously enrolled in Career Choice within the same calendar year of rehire, log in to Career Choice to check your budget.

Will a Leave of Absence (LOA) affect my eligibility or participation?

No, you can both apply and participate in Career Choice while you are on leave of absence.

I fulfill all the eligibility criteria. Why am I still getting blocked from starting an application?

When you log into www.Amazoncareerchoice.com, you should see a message under "Welcome" explaining why you are blocked from submitting a new application. If you do not see this message or have questions, navigate to the Amazon Career Choice homepage and click on the ‘send us a question’ button at the bottom of the page under "Contact Us" to submit your issue. You should hear back from us within five business days.

I have worked for Amazon as a contractor or seasonal employee, but only converted to blue-badge last month. Am I eligible?

Your employment as a contractor or seasonal employee does not count towards your Career Choice eligibility. You will be eligible for Career Choice after 90 continuous days of employment as a blue badge employee.

Career Choice Program Budget

Amazon pays 100% of your tuition, fees, and books up to an annual maximum limit. The annual maximum is $5,250 (for full-time associates) or $2,625 (for part-time associates) per calendar year. The Career Choice benefit is available each year for as long as you are employed with Amazon, with no lifetime maximum. You can find a personalized view of your annual budget by navigating to the Career Choice homepage.

Common questions related to budget:

What if the school tuition fee is more than my Career Choice budget?

In a calendar year, Amazon will only fund up to the annual maximum. This annual maximum is $5,250 for full time associates and $2,625 for part time associates. If your tuition is greater than your available budget, you will be responsible for the difference. Many participating Career Choice schools may be able to help you apply for financial aid and/or offer payment plans. Please check with the school to understand their payment plans and processes so that you can pay any amount owed over the Career Choice annual maximum.

Is there an exception to the annual maximum limit?

No, there are no exceptions to the annual maximum limit.

Do I have to pay taxes on my Career Choice benefit?

No, the maximum tuition assistance you can receive in any calendar year is $5,250. This is below the amount at which the benefit becomes taxable.

Career Choice Program Application Process

To start the application process, visit the Career Choice homepage and choose your education track (Foundations, Pathways, or College) by clicking the “Explore” button for your desired path. Review the application process detailed on your selected track page, under the “Let’s get you started” section.

Common questions related to the application process:

Can I apply for a program that has already started?

No, you will not be able to apply for the Career Choice benefit if the program or course has already begun and you do not have a Career Choice voucher.

How early can I apply for Career Choice programs and classes?

Do I need to apply to the school separately or does Career Choice apply on my behalf?

You will need to apply to both your school of choice, and the Career Choice program. We encourage you to register and apply to the school prior to applying for tuition through Career Choice. You should work directly with your school to determine pre-enrollment requirements. Some schools have a required assessment you must take before enrolling, so make sure to give yourself enough time to complete all of the requirements before starting the application process. Once you are admitted to the school, you can go to AmazonCareerChoice.com to apply for a voucher for tuition funding. For some schools and programs, the voucher application will require a confirmation code provided by the school.

Can I change my preferred email address?

Career Choice uses the preferred email address set in the A to Z app for all communications. Please make sure your email address is up-to-date on your A to Z profile page. We will send information to the provided email address pertaining to your application, payments, feedback, and job search resources- please check it regularly for updates. If your email is correct and you don't see communications from Career Choice, please check your spam folder.

Is E-sign allowed for the tuition voucher?

A tuition voucher is generated after you have successfully completed the application process. You can E-sign your voucher in any of the following ways:

Directly from the application confirmation page
By clicking on the link provided in the confirmation email
On your application dashboard (Homepage->Your account->Applications).

Once you’ve E-signed the voucher, you can download it and email it to your school. The school will need to complete additional information on the voucher and then submit it directly to Amazon for payment.

Why am I getting blocked from submitting a new application?

There can be several reasons why you may be blocked from submitting a new application. An error message will appear on your home page of the Career Choice website explaining why you are blocked. Some possible reasons include:

You have a pending payment from a previous application
You have already used your annual budget amount
You’ve taken a course funded by Career Choice and need to upload a transcript showing your grades for the course(s) covered by your previous tuition application (Homepage->Your account->Upload transcript). If you have three or more applications with failed or missing grades anytime throughout your eligibility, you will be blocked from submitting any future applications.