About your Education Assistance Benefits
Exciting News: A New Chapter in Education Assistance Is Here!
Advocate Health is excited to introduce InStride as our new education assistance benefits vendor—bringing a fresh, unified approach to supporting your personal and professional growth. Starting in 2026, teammates will benefit from a more flexible, accessible and empowering suite of education programs designed to meet you where you are in your career journey.
This includes:
- Increased benefits and new benefit programs to support career mobility (coming soon)
- Expanded access to learning opportunities, removing financial barriers
- Flexible pathways tailored to your goals, schedule and stage of career
Teammates who have an application open with Bright Horizons
To prepare for the transition, there will be a blackout period from Friday, Oct. 31, 2025, to Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, during which the current EdAssist with Bright Horizons portal will be unavailable. Those currently using Ed Assist with Bright Horizons will need to finalize and close applications and will be eligible for the new Advocate Health Education Assistance Benefit in 2026.
Access the EdAssist Portal
Greater Charlotte & Navicent & Floyd: Log in to EdAssist with your network username and password.
Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist: Access EdAssist from the Wake Forest Intranet.
EdAssist Support Is Available
By Phone: 833.211.2710
Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
Live Chat on EdAssist Portal: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Tuition Reimbursement (Degree Programs)
If your course is complete and you have final grades and invoices:
- Complete your application with EdAssist with Bright Horizons before Friday, Oct. 31, 2025.
- Upload your invoice and proof of completion now so your reimbursement is processed in 2025.
- If you don’t close out before Oct. 31, you’ll need to restart your application with InStride starting Jan. 15, 2026, and your reimbursement will be processed in 2026.
If your course is still in progress and you have an open application:
- Finish your course and gather your final grade, itemized tuition & fees and proof of payment.
- On Jan. 15, 2026, sign in to InStride and create your account.
- Restart your application with InStride. There will be some flexibility in policy deadlines to account for the transition period.
- Once approved, your reimbursement will be processed for eligible costs, and your reimbursement will be paid in 2026.
Continuing Education (CEU) and Shorter Programs
If you already have your final invoices and proof of completion:
- Complete your application in EdAssist before Friday, Oct. 31, 2025.
- Submitting now ensures your reimbursement is processed in 2025.
- If you wait until after Oct. 31, you’ll need to restart your application in InStride starting Jan. 15, 2026, and your reimbursement will be processed in 2026.
Success Pays and Nursing Voucher Programs
- If your course has been paid out, you do not need to upload your Letter of Completion (LOC) at this time. Simply make sure your course and invoice information are accurate in EdAssist with Bright Horizons before the restricted period begins and keep your LOC for your records.
- If you plan to enroll in another Direct Pay program after your current course, you can do so through InStride starting Jan. 15, 2026. Additional workflow details will be shared closer to launch.
Direct Pay Programs
- Each Direct Pay school may have its own process, so please review your school’s requirements carefully.
- If your school has already been paid, you do not need to take any action now. Just make sure your course and invoice information are accurate in EdAssist with Bright Horizons and keep a copy of your final invoice and proof of completion for your records.
- If your course is still in progress or your school has not yet been paid:
- No action is needed, keep your application open with EdAssist with Bright Horizons.
- Once the new InStride platform launches on Jan. 15, 2026, you will need to start a new application to continue your studies and request future Direct Pay funding.
Loan Program
- Friday, Oct. 31, 2025, is the final day to request payments or submit recurring payment information.
- After this date, the EdAssist with Bright Horizons site will no longer be accessible.
- After Oct. 31, the EdAssist with Bright Horizons site will no longer be accessible. You will continue to receive updates and guidance as we get closer to the InStride launch, so there’s no need to worry. For now, please focus on completing any steps for your current EdAssist application.
Teammates who are considering Education Assistance
Whether you're considering continuing your education, pursuing a certification, or exploring new career opportunities, we’re inspired by your commitment to growth and development. To help you make the most of Advocate Health’s upgraded education assistance benefits, we encourage you to wait until Jan. 15, 2026, when our new and improved program officially launches—it will be worth the wait!
More information, including new benefits programs and amounts, will be announced in the coming weeks. For now, please refer to the FAQs. Email EdAssistHR@advocatehealth.org for urgent matters