Get Prepared

Congrats on taking the first steps towards your education goals. Have you received your approval email from Guild? If not, don’t worry, you should receive an email within 7-10 days of submitting your Guild application.

If you have received your approval email, double congratulations! Here are your next steps in completing the Rio Salado College Start application:

1 — Make sure you’re eligible

Check to make sure you're eligible for your company's education benefit, right up to the first day of classes. Go to the Guild home page and check your eligibility status in the upper right-hand corner. For more information about eligibility, contact Guild support.

2 — Confirm your spot

Once your Guild application is approved, you'll need to confirm your spot in Rio Salado’s College Start program for the next start date.

Log in to your Guild account and visit your Applications page to confirm your spot, then either Rio Salado College or Guild will reach out to you with next steps.

Be sure to confirm your spot by the 29th day of the month before your start date, or February 27, if the start date is in March, or you will have to start in a later term.

If you don't confirm your spot by the 29th day, your start date will automatically update to the next start date available (up to 90 days out). You should be able to view your new start date and confirm your spot for the new start date within your Guild portal. If you don't confirm your spot for the updated start date, you will need to re-apply.

If you have previous education outside of the U.S. (i.e., foreign credentials), there aren't extra requirements to complete for Rio Salado College’s College Start program.

3 — Complete the Rio Salado College admissions application

Complete Rio Salado’s application online. The entire process will take around 10-15 minutes to complete. There are a few important steps to follow to ensure a seamless process:

Be sure you select College Start on the Rio Salado application. This will ensure your tuition will be covered by your employer.
When completing the application, use the exact name you provided in your Guild application. This will allow us to identify you as an approved Guild student.
Have a government-issued ID available as part of the application process.
Be sure you select “Take a Class” as your primary reason for attending college and “Enhance Job Skills” as your program plan on the admissions application. This will ensure your tuition will be covered by your employer.

Make sure to write down your MEID, student ID and maricopa email address for reference. Once you are admitted, you will need to set up Duo two-factor authentication to access Maricopa student systems. Two-factor authentication is a required security measure to protect your account, and needs to be established by you (the student) using your MEID@maricopa.edu email address and phone number. Go to: www.maricopa.edu/duo to learn how to get started and for more information on Duo security requirements.

While you do not need to complete the application in one session, you must complete it within 48 hours. Otherwise, you will have to start over from the beginning.

If you need assistance with your application, a Rio Salado Success Coach is available to help you. They will answer any questions you might have about Rio and your selected program, and can even walk you through the application. You can contact a Rio Salado Success Coach by email: Guild@riosalado.edu or by phone 480-384-9835 between 8:30am - 5:00pm Arizona time.

To get started, follow the enrollment steps using our Step-by-step guide to Enrollment (Spanish version)

4 — Create Your Rio Salado College Student Account

You will need to complete an application for Rio Salado College and upload a valid form of identification before being enrolled in the next available start date in your cohort’s month. As a reminder, there are multiple start dates each month in which you may enroll as long as you are eligible through your employer. You'll receive an email and a phone call from Rio Salado College with instructions on how to create your student account at Rio Salado College. If you do not receive this email or phone call by your start date, make sure to check your spam folder and then reach out to Rio Salado College using guild@riosalado.edu .

Please be sure to use the same name, email address, and other personal information you used on your Guild application when creating your student account at Rio Salado College. Using different information may result in delays for your start at Rio Salado College.

After you create your student account, you'll be able to schedule your classes (if applicable), or your classes may automatically populate. This depends on your program, so please follow the directions provided by Rio Salado College to make sure you can access your coursework.

5 — English and Math Course Placement at Rio Salado College

ONLINE PLACEMENT TESTING: Login to EdReady to complete English and College Algebra placement tests online. You will need your MEID and password to login to this website.

If you need assistance with your course placement, a Rio Salado Success Coach is available to help you. You can contact a Rio Salado Success Coach by email: Guild@riosalado.edu or by phone 480-384-9835 between 8:00 am - 5:00 pm Arizona time.

You can also go directly to Rio Salado to learn more about the transcript process at Rio Salado College. In many cases, you will not need to wait for your transcripts to arrive to start your program. Speak to a Rio Salado Success Coach for more information.

6 — Register for class with your Rio Salado Success Coach

Schedule a meeting with your Rio Salado Success Coach to select the courses you'll take during your first term. Your Success Coach will go over expectations, orient you to the student portal, prepare you for your courses, discuss course materials, and review available resources such as tutoring, instructional helpdesk, 24/7 Ask a Librarian, disability services, and more.

7 — Get Ready for Class

Rio Salado College provides many resources to set you up for success in your program.

Try our RioLearn demo
Learn tips and tools on how to navigate the student portal
Connect with students, instructors, and staff through RioConnect online community
Access to many student support services and more
(Optional) Complete the New Student Orientation Course

These resources are available on the Rio Salado College Student Resources page.

8 — Start Class and Complete the Syllabus Acknowledgement

Login to your RioLearn student portal and make sure you complete your syllabus acknowledgment in the first three days of class in order to stay enrolled in your College Start program at Rio Salado. Failure to do so may result in you being automatically dropped from the program or prevent you from continuing.

Your Success Coach will show you where to access your course syllabus. You got this!

9 — Chat with your Guild Growth Coach for Support

Once you’ve completed your syllabus acknowledgement, you'll have a chance to talk with your Guild Growth Coach. This is the time to discuss your education and career aspirations, ask questions, and set goals for completing your College Start program at Rio Salado College.

10 — Complete Your Coursework in the Rio Salado College Start Program

Your Guild support network, along with your Rio Salado College Start support team, will be there to offer guidance and support throughout your program. Don't hesitate to reach out to Guild Support for help or Rio Salado College at guild@riosalado.edu with any questions you may have!

Timeline for Funding

You can learn more about the timeline of Tuition Assistance Funding by clicking here https://guild.force.com/helpcenter/s/article/How-Tuition-Assistance-works. You'll also want to ensure you are tagged as a Guild student with the school and ensure you continue to meet your employer's eligibility requirements.