Educational Assistance Programme

What you need to know

Further your education — on us! When you take classes and developmental programmes for your current role (or likely future role), you get reimbursed through the Educational Assistance Programme.

Your manager’s approval

All full-time employees are eligible to receive up to €4.250 each calendar year for tuition, books, and lab expenses. Just get your course approved by your manager before you enrol, and successfully complete your exams.

Educational leave

A leave of absence with pay will be granted to you for certain reasons, such as examination days, required course attendance, and obligatory presentations. You may receive up to 10 working days of paid leave within 2 consecutive calendar years. Please note: The paid leave will be granted in accordance with Educational Leave Acts for Brandenburg or Berlin.

You must request your leave days from your manager and HR Hub at least 6 weeks prior to the requested educational leave. Employees should use the Educational Leave Form, and evidence of dates should be submitted when requesting approval for this absence.

Keep in mind that if you leave within 1 year of successful completion of the course, as confirmed by the learning institute, you will be required to reimburse the company the pro-rata amount for the programme depending on the amount of education reimbursement and paid leave you received.

Details about educational leave are in the Education Agreement. Request it from HR Hub, which will provide the agreement once your request is approved.

What else to know

Individual eligibility

You must be employed with PayPal for at least 1 year before you can apply for the Educational Assistance Programme.

Your performance must meet business goals or go beyond those goals.

You must not be on any form of disciplinary action before seeking education reimbursement or while using the benefit.

Your application must be completed and discussed with your team leader and manager.

The courses you take must be integrated into your personal development plan (PDP).

The academic programme must have a direct relevance to your current or a future role in the short term.

The course you take must be through a recognised institute of learning.

Course / programme requirements

Education reimbursement is available for certificates, diplomas, and bachelor's, master's, or graduate degree programmes that are job related.

Individual courses will be reviewed for approval on a case-by-case situation.

Programmes leading to professional certification must be in a specific job-related field of professional discipline. They should provide you with skills, knowledge, and competencies for your current or future role within the company.

What to do before you apply

Once you’ve researched and decided on a course of study, you may be ready to apply for education reimbursement. Be sure to take these steps before you apply:

  • Review the full policy and associated criteria
  • Complete Educational Assistance Request Form, and discuss your plans with your manager and team leader
  • Submit the request form 4 weeks prior to course start to HR Hub (this page is only accessible within the PayPal firewall); an Education Agreement with reimbursement details will be set up
  • Update your Personal Development Plan (PDP) to reflect your participation in an educational programme

Once your application is approved, you may register for the course. Be sure to retain original copies of payment receipts.

Reimbursement process

Once you successfully complete the course or complete an essential part of the course, submit the following documents to HR Hub:

  • A copy of the transcript from the college or programme administrator to you confirming you’ve successfully completed the course or essential parts of the course
  • The original receipt of payment from the college
  • A copy of your Education Reimbursement form as well as a copy of the completed Education Agreement

HR Hub records and checks the information provided by you. Once HR Hub processes this, payment information will be provided to payroll for reimbursement. You will receive this payment in the next pay run, and you will not pay taxes.

Provider contact information

Educational Assistance Programme

HR Hub

This page is only accessible within the PayPal firewall.