Invested.
Learn.
What is the Vendor Scholarship Program?
It’s our investment in you
The last several years have been hard on our industry and our families. We’ve seen consultants and clients leave the business and we continue to face considerable obstacles hampering in-person physical surveys in many parts of the country.
We’re now faced with increasing demand for inspections and fewer contractors willing to take them. Others have reduced their capacities and service areas. And some are waiting out the most recent wave of COVID. Some companies have turned to using inexperienced consultants, but Preferred Reports is committed to quality, and we will not give in to taking shortcuts. Our customers expect nothing less.
We know many personal lines consultants want to move into commercial work. Others want to be able to get more varieties of inspection orders so they can increase their revenue. We know there are allied professionals such as appraisers, home inspectors, and even agents and real estate professionals who want to enter our industry. All these people are excellent candidates for consultants, but they may lack the specific training needed to perform inspections to our client’s expectations.
Preferred Reports is prohibited by federal, state, and local laws from providing basic training to 1099 independent contractors. This limits your options to expanding your business.
While we can’t train you, we can help. Preferred Reports has partnered with VIITA, the Virtual Insurance Inspection Training Academy, to offer you access to quality training at discounted rates. With VIITA you’ll have access to high quality basic inspection training which earns you certification in either Commercial Lines Inspections or Personal Lines Inspections. You can even take both.
In addition to the discount, Preferred Reports has created the Vendor Scholarship Program. This program starts in February 2022 and will, for a limited time, provide grants to offset some of the expenses you may incur from taking VIITA classes. To qualify for a grant you just need to complete an application once you meet the grant requirements.
How does the Vendor Scholarship Program work?
We’ve made it simple and easy
To qualify for the limited time Preferred Reports Vendor Scholarship, you need to meet the following:
For a current Approved Vendor attending a VIITA class with the Preferred Reports code:
· Be an Approved Vendor actively servicing Preferred Reports for at least 60 days
· Attend the VIITA program for either the Commercial Lines or Personal Lines course using the Preferred Reports code
· Complete the course with a passing score
Once you have passed, please complete our quick online scholarship application. We’ll review your information and if you qualify you will be notified by email and by your manager about when to expect your grant.
For a current Approved Vendor who has already completed one or more VIITA courses:
· Be an Approved Vendor actively servicing Preferred Reports for at least 90 days
· Attended the VIITA program for either the Commercial Lines or Personal Lines course prior to February 2022.
· Directly paid for the course (not sponsored by a company)
· Completed the course with a passing score
Once you have passed, please complete our quick online scholarship application. You will need to provide a copy of your course certificate and a receipt showing you personally paid for the courses. You may only request a scholarship for one class per application.
Once your application is received, we’ll review your information and if you qualify you will be notified when to expect your grant by email and your manager.
Approved grants will be paid in the form of an additional fee added to inspections in your current inventory if you have any, or to future inventory as they are assigned. If two grants are applied for at once only one grant will be paid out at a time. This is done to make sure everyone has access to available funds. If you do not currently have inventory but are active with Preferred Reports, your manager or someone from Preferred Reports will contact you to set up your payment.
How do I use VIITA?
Promo codes and purchasing guide
Preferred Reports has negotiated a discounted rate for their two programs. All you have to do to get the discount is enter the appropriate Promo Code for the class you are taking. Promo Code PRCL the cost for the Basic Commercial Lines Course drops to $199. Promo code PRPL drops the cost of the Basic Personal Lines Inspector Course to just $59.00. You can pay for your courses with a credit card or PayPal.
For detailed directions on using VIITA please download this Purchasing Guide.
What’s the catch?
There isn’t one, but there are a few things we need to cover
Preferred Reports offers this scholarship to assist our Approved Vendors with continued education in the insurance inspections industry. By applying for this scholarship, you certify that all the information provided is true and correct. If awarded a grant you will be responsible for all taxes. Awarding a scholarship places no obligation on Preferred Reports to order or continue to send inspections to the grantee. Accepting a scholarship does not obligate the grantee to provide or continue to provide services to Preferred Reports with the exception that the grant is only paid out through additional/bonus pay on inspections currently assigned and/or to be assigned to the grantee. In no case will the grant be paid in direct funds to the grantee. If a scholarship recipient is no longer performing inspections for Preferred Reports at the time the grant is due to be released, the offer will be withdrawn, and funds reallocated to other eligible Approved Vendors.
If you are applying for a scholarship based on completing a course with VIITA prior to February 1, 2022, you will need to provide some additional information with your application. The scholarship you receive will be equal to what is paid to those attending VIITA through the Preferred Reports discount code, regardless of what was paid for the course at the time it was taken. Preferred Reports will only provide a grant to cover direct Independent Contractor costs. Inspectors who were sponsored by another inspections company to take VIITA classes are not eligible for a grant. If you were only partially sponsored, you may receive a grant up to the amount you personally paid.
Our offer and your acceptance of a scholarship does not alter any existing Independent Contractor Agreement. Preferred Reports reserves the right to alter or end this program at any time and without prior notice.