Applications Are Officially Open: The EMS Tuition Reimbursement Program Is Here
After more than a year of advocacy, WEMSA is proud to announce that the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Tuition Reimbursement Program, created under 2025 Wisconsin Act 35, is now accepting applications. This program was WEMSA's #1 legislative priority in the 2025-2026 session, and its launch marks a major step forward in reducing the financial barriers that keep people from entering, and staying in, the EMS workforce in Wisconsin.
Starting now, eligible EMS students and the Wisconsin employers who sponsor them can apply to be reimbursed for tuition and required materials tied to initial EMS education completed at a Wisconsin Technical College.
What the Program Covers
The program reimburses tuition and required materials for individuals completing initial EMS education — EMR certification or EMT, AEMT, and Paramedic licensure — at a Wisconsin Technical College. Online, hybrid, and on-campus programs are all treated equally. Reimbursement is available once per credential level, so someone who later advances from EMT to AEMT to Paramedic can apply again at each new level.
Eligible costs include tuition, required textbooks and materials, required uniforms and clinical equipment, clinical onboarding costs like background checks and immunizations, and testing and licensure fees such as NREMT exams. Travel, lodging, meals, childcare, lost wages, and laptops are not covered.
Who Can Apply
- Wisconsin resident students applying for their initial EMR certification or EMS practitioner licensure, if they personally paid for the program.
- Wisconsin-based employers — EMS agencies or otherwise — who paid a student's tuition or materials costs, even if the student wasn't formally employed by them.
Certification or licensure must have been completed on or after October 22, 2025, and applicants have one year from program completion to apply.
How to Apply
- Start your application through HEAB's GLASS portal.
- Email your supporting documents — copy of license, proof of program completion, tuition bill, materials receipts, and proof of payment — to cassie.weisensel@wisconsin.gov.
- Plan for 4 to 6 weeks of processing time once your application is complete.
Awards are issued on a first-come, first-served basis while funding is available, so students and employers are encouraged not to wait. All eligible tuition and materials costs should be included in a single application, since the program does not reimburse new expenses submitted after an initial award.
WEMSA's Role Going Forward
WEMSA has worked directly with HEAB to clarify how the law will be interpreted and implemented, and that collaboration continues. We will continue to promote this opportunity to eligible students throughout the state and serve as a resource for what we know now, and if there are any updates as the program continues.
For the full breakdown of eligibility rules, reimbursable costs, and documentation requirements, visit our EMS Tuition Reimbursement Program FAQs page.
Questions? Reach out to WEMSA at wemsa@wisconsinems.com, or contact HEAB directly at cassie.weisensel@wisconsin.gov with application-specific questions.