If you are a benefits-eligible employee at Abbott Northwestern, Children's Hospital Minneapolis, North Memorial Hospital or Hennepin County Medical Center, and you are interested in further training in the health care field, the Health Careers Partnership (HCP) may be right for you.

HCP can loan you money to pay your tuition -- and in some cases, pay for books -- if you plan to attend Minneapolis Community Technical College (MCTC).

Here's how to do it:

Register at MCTC and complete an MCTC admissions application. (Copies of this application are available by calling 612.659.6200, or on the MCTC web site.) Return your application to the MCTC Admissions Office.

If you haven't already done so, take the college assessment test through MCTC. Call 612.659.6262 to schedule an appointment.

Complete your organization's tuition reimbursement request form, available in your human resources department.

Register for classes at MCTC! In order to register, you must have the student ID and PIN number given to you by MCTC. Registration may be done by computer, over the phone, or at the main campus.

Call the Health Careers Partnership at 612.455.5300, or come to 1925 Chicago Avenue (corner of Chicago and Franklin Avenues, second floor) to complete the HCP application process at least one week prior to the deadline for class registration. Please bring a copy of the signed tuition reimbursement form with you.

At the end of each semester, submit your grades to your human resources department so that they can process your tuition reimbursement. At that point, you repay the tuition loan to the Health Careers Partnership.