This is not free money handed to you in advance — it runs in reverse, and understanding that sequence saves you from a budgeting surprise. You get hired into a part-time, non-management role; enroll in an accredited college, university, or trade program; submit your application through Edcor within the window (it opens 90 days before your term and closes 30 days after it starts); pay your tuition and fees yourself, upfront; complete the term with a passing grade (typically a C or better); then submit proof of payment and your grade to collect reimbursement.
You front the cost every term — a part that rarely makes the "UPS pays for your education" headlines. A semester that costs $2,000 means you pay $2,000 first, finish the class, then wait for the check. This works fine if you can manage the gap through savings, a school payment plan, or other aid. A federal Pell Grant covers part of tuition directly with no reimbursement wait, and many students layer it with Earn and Learn to shrink their own upfront cost.
The honest answer is messier than a single yes or no — it depends on the role and location. Plenty of part-time package handler listings carry no formal education requirement; other roles and facilities list a high school diploma or GED as a prerequisite, and no single nationwide policy covers every UPS job. So check the specific posting for the role you want, and ask at your local facility if it is unclear. But here is why this still points back to the GED: even where the package-handler job skips the requirement, the part of UPS that pays you tuition money does not. Enrolling in an accredited college or trade program without a diploma or its equivalent simply is not possible. The door to the job might open without it; the door to the $5,250 a year stays shut.
Here is the sequence that actually works. The GED covers four subjects — Math, Reasoning Through Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies — each requiring a score of 145 or higher to pass, and most people prepare in one to six months depending on how recently they sat in a classroom.
Earn your GED. Four subjects, 145 or higher to pass. Prep in roughly one to six months, then sit the official test. This is the single step UPS will not fund — and the one that unlocks everything else.
Get hired part-time at UPS. Apply to a participating hub and confirm it actually offers Earn and Learn, since not every facility participates. Eligibility starts on your first day, with no manager sign-off.
Enroll in an accredited program. With your GED now qualifying you, apply to any accredited college, university, or trade school in any subject. Nursing-assistant programs are a fast, realistic on-ramp from a fresh GED.
Activate Earn and Learn from day one. Submit your Edcor application inside the window, pay your tuition, finish the term with a passing grade, and start collecting reimbursement. The annual cap resets each year toward the lifetime ceiling.
Reverse that sequence and you waste time applying to programs you cannot enter yet. Get the order right, and a single modest test-fee investment unlocks a benefit worth tens of thousands of dollars over the years that follow. One realistic first credential to aim at: a CNA with a GED typically needs only a postsecondary nondegree award and pays a median around $39,500, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Earning the GED is where Twigera does the heavy lifting. The platform breaks each subject into short video lessons taught by credentialed teachers, paired with an adaptive practice engine that zeroes in on weak spots instead of grinding through material you already know — students finish in around 11 weeks on average, studying in short daily sessions rather than long weekend cram blocks. The Pro plan adds something useful for this exact situation: finish the course, sit the official GED within 90 days, and if you do not pass, the full cost comes back to you. For someone betting an entire UPS tuition plan on earning this credential, that guarantee removes a real source of anxiety. Unsure how close you are? Start with a free GED diagnostic test before picking a plan — it shows exactly which subjects need work, so you are not guessing or paying for support you do not need.
The biggest thing to understand about UPS Earn and Learn is simple: the program helps employees pay for college and career training, but it does not cover GED preparation or GED testing fees. If earning a GED is still your immediate goal, focus on building that foundation first — because without it, the education opportunities tied to UPS tuition assistance remain out of reach. The day-one access and the $5,250 a year are real and generous; the credential that unlocks them is the one piece UPS leaves to you, and it is entirely within your control today. Build the credential colleges require, then put UPS Earn and Learn to work for the future you are building toward.
