Live Better U is Walmart's employer-paid education benefit. It covers 100% of tuition and required books at accredited partner schools, with no dollar cap and no reimbursement waiting period. Walmart employs roughly 1.6 million U.S. associates, and the program is open to all of them — full-time and part-time — starting on day one, which makes it one of the most far-reaching employer education benefits anywhere. It runs entirely online and is built to remove the financial barriers that keep working adults from finishing their education.
The catalog covers high school completion via Penn Foster, English-language learning, college prep and short-form credentials, and associate's and bachelor's degrees through partners like Southern New Hampshire University and the University of Arkansas. The high school completion path is the entry point for associates without a credential — everything above it builds on that foundation. Two things to be clear about before you go further: the program has been completely free since 2021, and what you earn through high school completion is a diploma, not a GED certificate.
Yes and no. Live Better U pays 100% of the cost for eligible associates to complete high school, and the credential you earn is an accredited Penn Foster high school diploma. Walmart does not pay GED Testing Service exam fees. That distinction matters: a Penn Foster diploma and a GED are both recognized high school-equivalency credentials accepted by the vast majority of employers and colleges, but they are different products earned in completely different ways. If you are weighing the two, our GED vs high school diploma guide lays out exactly how they compare.
| LBU high school completion | Standalone GED test |
|---|
Credential earned | Penn Foster HS diploma (accredited) | State GED certificate |
How you earn it | Complete approx. 22 online course credits | Pass 4 subject tests |
Cost to you | $0 — Walmart pays | About $144 to $200 total, varies by state |
Who can access it | Walmart associates, FT/PT, from day one | Anyone |
Speed | Self-paced coursework over months | Fast if you are already test-ready |
And ignore any source still repeating the "$1 a day" figure — it is outdated. On August 16, 2021, Walmart announced it would remove the $1-a-day fee and pay for all approved education programs. Today the cost to you is $0, with 100% of tuition and required materials covered, no annual dollar cap, and no reimbursement model — Walmart pays directly and upfront.
Eligibility is broader than most people expect. Both full-time and part-time associates qualify from their first day of work — no minimum hours, no waiting period. Temporary associates and salaried market-level-and-above roles are excluded, and associates who already hold a bachelor's degree are not eligible for degree programs. For the high school completion path specifically, two extra requirements apply: you must have completed the 8th grade and be 18 or older.
Three myths are worth correcting. You do not need to be full-time — part-time associates qualify on day one. You are not required to stay at Walmart after finishing — there is no service commitment, and your credential is yours wherever you work next. And family members cannot use it — Live Better U is for Walmart associates only.
The catalog is tiered so any associate has a clear entry point, regardless of where they are starting from. High school completion is the foundation, and it is the prerequisite for every higher tier.
Tier 1 — High school completion. Penn Foster High School delivers the program fully online across roughly 22 course credits covering core academics and electives, ending in an accredited diploma. This is the entry point for associates without a credential.
Tier 2 — English-language learning. Self-paced programs through partners like EnGen, Lingvano, and Mondly run concurrently with work for associates building English fluency.
Tier 3 — College prep and short-form credentials. College-prep foundations plus short-form certificates from providers such as Google and IBM, useful for associates moving toward a degree or a specific skill.
Tier 4 — Associate's and bachelor's degrees. Full degrees through partners including Southern New Hampshire University, Bellevue University, and the University of Arkansas. Associates without a high school credential complete Tier 1 first to unlock these tracks.
Confirm your eligibility. You must be an active Walmart or Sam's Club associate (FT or PT), have completed the 8th grade, and be 18 or older. Enrollment opens on your first day.
Access the Live Better U portal. Log into OneWalmart and navigate to Live Better U via WorkforceEdge. Portal navigation can change, so verify the current path through OneWalmart — your People Lead can point you there.
Select the high school completion program. Choose Penn Foster High School from the catalog under the high school completion category.
Confirm requirements and enroll. The system checks your eligibility before you proceed. Once confirmed, tuition and required course materials are covered at $0 to you.
Complete your coursework. The program is fully online and self-paced. At about 10 hours of study per week, most associates finish within 6 to 12 months — and you get a dedicated academic coach to help you sequence courses around your schedule.
Receive your Penn Foster high school diploma. Once you complete all required credits, your accredited diploma is issued — widely accepted by employers and colleges as a high school-equivalency credential.
For a current Walmart associate without a high school credential, yes — plainly. The program is free, accredited, and flexible enough to complete while working. It carries zero cost with no reimbursement wait, is fully online and self-paced, includes dedicated academic coaching, leaves you with a nationally accredited Penn Foster diploma, opens access to every higher tier in the catalog, and carries no obligation to stay at Walmart.
The need is still real. Recent U.S. Census Bureau data shows that just under 90% of Americans aged 25 and over hold a high school credential or higher — meaning the gap has narrowed, but millions of working adults still fall outside it. A free, online path to close that gap with zero out-of-pocket cost is genuinely rare, which is what makes Live Better U stand out among employer benefits.
Two things to weigh first. The diploma path is coursework, not a fast test-out — if speed is your priority and you are already well-prepared, the GED test gets you there faster, since a focused test-taker can complete the four GED subjects in weeks. And the credential is a Penn Foster diploma, not the GED certificate — for the vast majority of employers and colleges that makes no practical difference, but if a specific institution, military branch, or employer names "GED" by title, confirm a diploma satisfies it before enrolling.
Live Better U is an associate-only benefit — if you do not work at Walmart or Sam's Club, you cannot access it. And some people specifically need the GED test credential: a state agency, employer, or military branch names "GED" by title, you want to test out quickly rather than complete months of coursework, or you simply do not work at Walmart. In that case, the GED is open to anyone. It covers four subject tests, each scored from 100 to 200, with a passing score of 145 or above per subject; 165 or above earns college-ready status. The cost runs about $144 to $200 in most states — our how much does the GED cost guide breaks it down by state.
If the GED is your path, preparation quality determines your outcome — a single, well-prepared attempt beats paying for retakes. Twigera is purpose-built GED test prep: structured study paths aligned to each of the four subjects, practice tests that replicate the real exam format and scoring, and progress tracking so you know where you stand before you pay for the official test. Whether your employer uses Guild's Penn Foster path (as Walmart does — see our Guild Education guide) or GEDWorks, start with a free GED diagnostic to see exactly where you stand before you invest a dollar.
Live Better U is one of the most generous employer education benefits in the country: completely free, open to full-time and part-time Walmart associates from day one, with no post-completion commitment. The credential you earn through high school completion is an accredited Penn Foster diploma — a widely accepted GED equivalent, but not the GED test itself, so confirm that distinction against your specific next step before enrolling. If you are a Walmart associate and LBU fits, use it without hesitation. If you are not, or you specifically need the GED test, focused preparation is what separates passing on the first attempt from paying for retakes.
