Merit America offers powerful career pathways in Human Resources, helping you build valuable skills, unlock new opportunities, and confidently advance toward a brighter professional future.
Merit America, Advance your career with Human Resources
About Us: Merit America
Merit America is a national, nonprofit organization that develops quick, efficient and flexible routes to family-sustaining jobs for Americans working at a low wage.
Learn in 22 weeks with a Google Certificate and without giving up your job! Pay $0 upfront.
22 weeks
18 hours/week
Why Human Resources?
Looking to take the first steps toward a successful HR career with a competitive advantage? Human Resources+ is a people-centered, active job role in which you contribute to the development of better workplaces and manage the projects that get them there. No experience in HR necessary.
Competitive Compensation
Job openings for HR workers who have project management experience are projected to be plentiful and will range from $52,100 at the beginning level to $85,900 at the top.
In-Demand Careers
You will be prepared for over 120,000+ job openings here in the U.S. with dual preparation for the aPHR certification and Google Project Management Certificate.
Fulfilling Work
Blend people support with project leadership, to support staff and drive workplace improvements. Alumni are ready to undertake employment in areas including:
Merit America is an Official Certification Preparation Provider with HR Certification Institute® (HRCI®)
This program is designed to prepare you to take the Associate Professional in Human Resources® (aPHR®) exam. This internationally recognised certification enhances your CV – and shows that your skills are up to the high standards expected by HR professionals around the world!
Please note: HR Certification Institute® (HRCI®) has no affiliation to any specific preparation program or offering. We welcome prospective certification holders to make use of a range of resources which align with their learning style and needs. An individual does not have to purchase a certification product to be certified and HRCI does not guarantee certification as a result of purchasing a certification preparation product.
Human Resource Certification Institute, Inc. is a trademark holder and the provider of the following certifications: aPHR, aPHRi, PHR, PHRca, PHRi, SPHR, SPHRi and GPHR. Used Under License.
Training and a coach that gets you employed.
A Career Track is a guided pathway in which coursework recognized by an industry partner is combined with real human coaching and ignites a real career change out of a certificate.
The coursework
Industry recognized coursework in HR (aPHR certification prep) along with the Google Project Management Certificate — two certifications in one program; no experience needed.
The coach
Merit America career coaching: Workshops, peer support and one-on-one guidance that keep you on track and help you get hired.
Your 22-Week Roadmap to an HR Career
Our approach to program design is built around your life and provides you with the skills employers are looking for. Our class experience will be a combination of live virtual and independent online work.
Getting Oriented
During your first month, you will learn the bases of both Human Resources and Project Management. You will meet your coach, and start to find out how to map your old experiences onto tech.
At the end of Week 4, you will be familiar with the talent acquisition and management of stakeholders life cycle. You’ll have until the end of Week 5 to explore and get a complete refund if you don’t want to carry on.
How Merit America fits into your life.
Hear what our alumni have to say
I looked at a lot of tech programs, but none of them really resonated with me, until I found Merit America.”
Stephanie: Program Assistant
What about Merit America?
If you’re thinking about changing your career into HR, you may want to compare the two options, HR full-time and HR community college.
The Merit America Guarantee
We are so confident in our program that if you do not make at least $40k within two years of the end date of the Merit America program of your choice (Immersion program end date), you do not have to pay.
How It Works
Interested in Merit America? You’ll discover all the information you need and how we can get you started on a new career in just as short as 16 weeks, with no experience necessary.
Assemble and set up the job with our course of action
Three stages, starting from your first week of learning, all the way to your first day in your new position. Will not ruin your day job. Organized to achieve results.
Get Oriented, Meet Your Coach, Start Building
Taking a leap and starting a new career is a significant step, and that’s where we come in! This is your opportunity to learn first hand what it feels like to be part of Merit America, and how the program’s coursework fits your schedule, as well as developing basic, essential professional skills. You can cancel at any time up to 5 weeks without penalty if it is not appropriate for you.
What you need to take you from learner to earner.
We’re not only preparing you for a certificate, we’re preparing you to take on a career that you’ve always wanted. We help you identify and leverage transferable skills and position you for success even if you don’t have work experience in the industry.
A coach who has a name on their mind and who has goals in their mind!
Online courses are just as notorious for their dropout rate as most people drop the class before it’s through, and very few gain a new job from taking one alone.
For this reason, the first thing we do after you join us is match you with a personal career coach. Not a chatbot. Not a ticket queue. Someone who put their money where their mouth is for your desired result.
Learners also select their coach at the time of enrollment, and coaches can be found in the evenings and on weekends, which allows them to find support without having to change job work hours and/or family responsibilities.
Individual development plan tailored to your way of life, time frame and abilities
Resume, LinkedIn, cover letter and interview coaching included
Weekly live workshops – you decide what and when it is relevant!
Multiple ways to pay for all learners
Four options to pay—including $0 upfront. You can get help from the Merit America Guarantee and pay nothing if it doesn’t work.
A Zero Percent Loan from Ascent Funding will help you pay for Merit America, and you will have $0 Down. For more information about the $0 Down With a Zero Percent Loan, please visit Ascent Funding.
Sponsorship Sponsorship may be available from an employer or organisation for program costs, part or full, for eligible learners. What is left over can be paid using self-pay or a Zero Percent Loan. Contact your employer to find out if they will pay for your program.
Pay in Full Up Front – If you would like to pay the full program fees at once, please email success-sharing@meritamerica.org and let us know you want to pay in full.
Opportunity For All: If you apply for an Ascent Zero Percent Loan and are disqualified, not sponsored by your employer, and not able to pay it in full upfront, you can apply for the Opportunity For All, which will cover 100% of the cost for Merit America. For more information please contact our Admissions staff for further details.
Support of the aspects of life that impact your work.
The program is not a sterile environment, real life occurs inside and outside it. Our Resource Hub contains resources to help you with the stuff that’s important outside of the classwork so you can concentrate on what you’re creating.
Real careers.
Real people.
Real outcomes.
Hundreds of working adults, including those who are juggling jobs, families and precious time have created new careers with Merit America. No degree required. No experience needed. The drive to change alone.
We have a broken economy in the USA.
Today, 53 million working adults, nearly half of the working population in the U.S. do not have a living wage. College is too expensive and takes too long. Full time programs are not flexible for working adults. Online courses don’t have the structure and support of a classroom environment to help you apply what you’ve learned to a new career.
Merit America is designed to fill this need. We use the best-in-class career coaching as well as AI skills training integrated into third party courses from providers such as Google to help workers successfully navigate their transition to family-sustaining work in an evolving economy.
A scaled-up model that simulates what works
Fast, flexible and employer-driven, Merit America offers a pathway from low-wage work to skilled careers, that can be taken while working and raising a family.
We create a pathway to the middle-class by leveraging industry-recognized third-party technical training and best-in-class coaching and peer support. We drive change by:
We believe everyone should be able to move up in their lives on the basis of their performance and not on the basis of money.
Launched in 2018 by pioneering education policy and online learning companies, Merit America has accumulated a body of work that has helped more than 20,000 students across the country earn a total estimated of $1.4 billion in cumulative wage gains and $33 in wage gains for every $1 invested. Merit America is among Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies.
Its funders include Blue Meridian Partners, Google.org, Walmart Foundation, Schmidt Futures, Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation and Strada Education Network.
Why Semiconductor & Advanced Manufacturing?
Thinking about changing careers for a high tech, fast growing field? In this fast-paced, high-tech, and modern industry, Semiconductor and Advanced Manufacturing provides a reliable, well-paying career path that advances the technology of electronics and industrial manufacturing, from smart phones to electric vehicles.
Supported by the CHIPS Act
As the CHIPS and Science Act commits $52 billion to increase U.S. chip manufacturing, there’s a growing demand for skilled workers who can help drive innovation and streamline chip supply chains, making the field one of the most critical in the nation.
Competitive Compensation
Entry-level manufacturing technicians have median incomes of $57,100, and are projected to see 11% growth over the next ten years.
Hands-On, Skilled Work
Combine practical technical competencies and critical thinking. Our graduates can find employment as:
The following is a well-formulated long-form article that has been optimized for SEO. I have worked Merit America** in as the main keyword, and I’ve added the following high search intent keywords: Career advancement programs, Human Resources programs, IT support, data analytics, UX design, project management, cybersecurity, Google Career Certificate, career coaching, job training programs, career change and professional development.
What if you could receive affordable career training and support to advance your career, with no strings attached?What if you could get affordable career training and support to advance your career, without any strings attached?
A better career can mean a greater sense of confidence, more money and new opportunities. But, for many, the expenses of education and/or job training can be a barrier to making the career change they desire. To address this challenge, Merit America offers career-oriented programs, flexible financing, professional coaching and helpful support to individuals seeking to transition to a new career.
From Human Resources and IT Support to Data Analytics and UX Design, from Project Management to Cybersecurity, Merit America offers career training programs to help learners acquire valuable skills and prepare for the job market.
One of the most appealing things about Merit America is their programs have no up-front cost, unless a learner decides to pay the entire program cost up-front. The organization strives to make career advancement more accessible through flexible payment options and other financial assistance opportunities.
Who are Merit America?
Merit America is a career development organization catering to adults who are looking to move into better career opportunities from a low wage job. It blends teaching and coaching, professional development, and job search assistance with technical training.
Merit America provides more than just classroom preparation; it’s a career transition experience. Learners are supported to develop and build technical skills, confidence and to understand how the prior experiences they have can be useful for them in a future job they are interested in.
For adults with careers and families to balance and other commitments, this marriage of career training and career coaching can be especially helpful for enhancing their career futures.
Earn a Degree With $0 Down Payment
One of the key advantages offered by Merit America is its flexible cost of program.The cost of program versatility is one of the major advantages mentioned by Merit America.
It does not charge up-front fees for its programs, but can be paid in full up-front if a learner chooses to. For Programs that are listed, the price is $5,700.
- IT Support
- Data Analytics
- UX Design
- Project Management
- Human Resources
- Cybersecurity
Depending on the situation, students may opt for one or more of the payment methods available to them. These can include paying up front, having an Ascent Zero Percent Loan or getting employer sponsorship.
The amount will be the same no matter which of these payment methods is chosen.
This approach can also make professional training more accessible for individuals who may not have thousands of dollars to put into professional training upfront, but would still like to invest in career advancement and professional training.
How Much Does the Merit America Program Cost?
The programs offered by Merit America cost $5,700. That’s not to say that learners have to pay that upfront amount, though.
This can be significant for anyone who is thinking about exploring career training programs. Sometimes traditional education is accompanied by a large fee charge to the student before the tuition starts. Merit America’s payment structure is designed to provide alternatives.
These can range from:
Upfront payment: If the learner wishes to pay the full cost upfront, then they can do so.
Students who qualify can receive the program with an Ascent Zero Percent loan.
Sponsorship: Some learners may be able to utilize the sponsor of their training.
Eligible learners who are unable to use the other payment options might be eligible to apply for financial aid with Merit America’s Opportunity for All program.
Please check the terms and conditions of the course before enrolling, as they may be subject to change.
Opportunity for All
An integral component of Merit America’s mission is to believe that cost should not be a barrier to career transition.
In the case of students who are unable to access payment, Merit America has created the Opportunity for All program. There are a limited number of places for qualifying learners, the organization says.
The learner might be eligible for Opportunity for All if they apply for an Ascent Zero Percent Loan and are not eligible to receive an employer-sponsored loan or don’t have enough money to pay the full program cost for the loan at the time of application.
In the event that the program is approved, the entire Merit America program may be paid for by the program.
It may be a significant opportunity for people seeking to acquire new job skills and who may not have significant financial resources.
Career Programs Designed for Today’s Job Market
Merit America has several career-oriented programs designed to meet a demand for skilled workers in the area of their study. Every program offers students a chance to gain hands-on experience in a specific career.
Human Resources
The Human Resources program may be suitable for those who are interested in working in employee relations, workplace operations, recruitment, talent management, and other HR-related areas.
HR professionals can help to assist employees, assist a company to hire skilled personnel, take care of company processes and in addition be able to contribute to the development of the organization.
Structured training can be beneficial for individuals looking to pursue a career in HR, as it can serve as a foundation for their entry into the industry.