Training reimbursement vs paying outright

Hey all, quick question.

I've been a contractor and consultant for a number of years and have recently transitioned to a permanent position.

The company claims to have great training available for its team members. The vast majority of team members do not take any advantage of this. I am jumping on an opportunity to sign up for some continuing education and add to my certification collection.

The week-long class I want to sign up for is about 4 grand. The company says they will pay for it, but I have to pay out of pocket and expense it. For some reason they balk at paying for it and sending me.

Essentially, I am concerned that I will pay for this class and that there will be issues reimbursing me, with approval, etc. I have been burned by managers word not coming to fruition before, and am hesitant to trust it again with this significant expense on the line. I have been told that our department has an outstanding training budget and I have already completed a HUGE project for them in my short tenure here, though that may not be relevant. What is relevant is that the training will be directly related to my next project, an area that I am not as strong in as my other experience.

Is this unusual? Am I being paranoid? Can anyone suggest a way to broach this issue professionally so that the company trains their employee and I receive the training and it's paid for in a manner that's comfortable to both parties?