Paying Tuition with California Charter Funds
The Well-Trained Mind Academy is an approved online education vendor with multiple California charter schools.
Getting Started
- Learn about the California Charter School Program.
- Use the California Department of Education’s map to find and contact your local CA charter school by county.
- Non-California residents: View a list of programs WTMA is approved for in other states.
Before You Enroll Your Student
How to Register for Classes
1) Create Your WTMA Parent Profile
Set up a profile for yourself and your student(s). This information is private, so don’t share your account or let anyone else register for you.
2) Choose Your Courses
Browse the Course Catalog and select classes. You can register even if your funds aren’t available yet—paying the Registration Fee now will hold your child’s spot.
3) Select Charter School at Checkout
In the “Charter School & Third-Party Funds” section:
- Set “Paying Tuition with Charter or Third-Party Funds?” to Yes
- Select your charter school under “Party Responsible for Tuition Payment”
- If your school isn’t listed, choose “Other – Contact WTMA Support”
4) Complete Checkout
Click Register and pay the Non-Refundable Registration Fee to finish.
How to Submit Purchase Orders
Parent/Guardian Responsibilities
Charter School Responsibilities
Purchase Order & Withdrawal Deadlines
Fall Semester Deadlines
- September 5: Withdrawal deadline for fall semester and full-year courses.
- September 30: POs due for fall semester and 1st half of full-year tuition.
- October 1: Enrollments without a PO attached will be moved to a monthly payment plan.
- October 5: All past-due tuition will be charged on this date. Please note that refunds will not be issued for payments processed after the PO deadline, even if a late purchase order is received. WTMA is happy to invoice your charter school for any remaining balance.
Spring Semester Deadlines
- January 31: POs due for spring semester and 2nd half of full-year tuition.
- February 1: Enrollments without a PO will be moved to a monthly payment plan.
- February 5:
- Withdrawal deadline for spring semester courses.
- All past-due tuition will be charged on this date. Please note that refunds will not be issued for payments processed after the PO deadline, even if a late purchase order is received. WTMA is happy to invoice your charter school for any remaining balance.
Payment & Withdrawal Reminders
Payment Status
- POs may show us “Unpaid” up to 30 days after the term ends.
- You are no longer responsible for course tuition once a PO is attached to your child’s enrollment as long as the purchase order is not canceled.
Dropped Courses
- If a course is dropped before the withdrawal deadline, the PO will be canceled and any funds received from the charter school will be returned to the charter school.
- If a course is dropped after the withdrawal deadline:
- Parents are responsible for the remaining tuition balance.
- The full remaining tuition will be charged at the time of withdrawal unless your student is enrolled in other classes, in which case you may request the balance be converted to a monthly payment plan.