Setting Up Your Programs – Vestwell Help Center

You can create your program by completing the following steps. If you're creating multiple programs for one benefit, or offering more than one benefit, you can repeat these steps. Let's get started.

Important: If you are creating a College SaveUp program and have restrictions for eligible 529 accounts, such as maximum age or relationship to employee, or any Student Loan Type Restrictions for a Student Loan PayDown Program, such as Parent Plus Loan filtering, that has not been provided to us, please email employersupport@gradifi.com with those restrictions prior to activating your program(s).

Choose a Benefit Program

Click on Programs and select Create a Program to launch the program build.

Set up your program by choosing from the benefits programs you offer. Then, follow the wizard to set up the program details.

Note: You will only see the contribution-based benefit you currently offer. (FinancialCore does not require a program design and is available to all eligible employees).

Know Your Options

There are multiple ways you can design your program to meet both your platform requirements and your workforce goals:

1. Choose a benefit program

• Student Loan Paydown
• College SaveUp

2. Contribution Type

• Standard Contributions: All Participants will receive the same contribution as outlined in the Program.
• Custom: After you set up this program, there will be a field to indicate the custom amount you would like to contribute per participant.

If you select Custom Contributions, you will be prompted to select the Duration of the Custom Program.

• One Time Bonus
• Ongoing Contributions
• Set Number of Contributions

If you select Standard Contributions, see step 3.

3. Do you want this program to consider participants' years of service (tenure)?

• Yes: All participants will receive contributions based on their years of service or tenure

  • Example: Employees with 1-2 years of service will start with a lower contribution amount than Employees with 3+ years of service.
  • To create a tenure-based program, you must also have a step contribution structure where contributions increase over time.

• No: All participants, regardless of their tenure, will begin at the same contribution amount at the launch of your program.

• Ongoing or fixed time period: Choose how long you will offer the program and make contributions for participants.

• One-Time Contribution: Choose to make a one-time contribution for participants during a limited time.

Get The Details

Once your program is created, the final step is filling out the program details.

1. Add a Program Name and Description

This content is visible to all participants when they sign up and can help you distinguish your program in the portal.

2. Choose a Program Start Date

Select the month and year that you want to start making contributions (your employees will register the month prior to the date you select).

3. Determine Contribution Structure

• Enter the contribution amount and duration of your program.
• To contribute an increasing amount over time based on the number of payments achieved, add a step contribution and enter the contribution amount and duration (step contributions are not calendar-based; they are calculated based on the number of contributions that a participant received since participating in the program).
• If there is no end date to your program, enter a contribution amount under “Ongoing Contributions” until the participant is no longer eligible for the program.