SANS Work Study (facilitator) program
SANS trades volunteer facilitator duties at an event for heavily discounted tuition, which is the single largest legitimate discount on SANS training.
Type: Bootcamp & intensiveWorking practitionersCareer changersStudents
Offered by SANS Institute
The facts
- Cost
- $2,500 for a four-to-six-day course, or $417 per day for shorter courses, in exchange for volunteer facilitator duties. SANS says a GIAC attempt and extended OnDemand access are often — not always — included.Figure read 2026-09-12 from www.sans.org/work-study
- Prerequisites
- A competitive application. SANS asks for strong organisation, support and leadership skills, and you take on real duties supporting the instructor and class.
- Format
- You attend the course as a student while performing facilitator duties for the event. Same courseware and same instructor as a full-price seat.
- Length
- The length of the course you facilitate, typically four to six days.
- Renewal
- No renewal or recertification requirement is published for this entry.
- Accreditation
- No accreditation is claimed for this entry, and none should be inferred.
- Who it suits
- A self-funded learner who wants SANS material, can travel to an event, and is willing to work through the week to pay for it.
- Audience
- Working practitioners · Career changers · Students
- Official page
- www.sans.org/work-study
Strengths
- Cuts roughly $6,000 off the list price of a SANS course — by far the best-value route into SANS material for a self-funded learner.
- Same instructor, same labs, same courseware as a full-price seat.
- SANS says a GIAC attempt is often included, which would otherwise be a further $999.
- Being in the room supporting an instructor is a genuinely good way to meet people who hire.
Limitations
- Competitive and capped — applying is not getting, and there is no published acceptance rate.
- You are working during the course, which measurably reduces how much of it you absorb compared with a full-price seat.
- Requires travelling to and attending a specific event on SANS's calendar, not yours.
- The GIAC attempt is described as often included rather than guaranteed, so budget for $999 in case it is not.
Sources
Costs, prerequisites and exam formats in this field change often, and several providers price by region, cohort or employer agreement. Every figure on this page carries the date it was read and a link to the page it was read from. Confirm current terms with the provider before you spend anything.