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I think I have suddenly realized something that I realize has gotten lost over the version edition changes that might be something that actually been helpful.
It used to cost to advance in level. It could be flavored as paying a trainer, paying for materials used in training or a variety of things, but it gave a bit of a cost at level up.
One of the reasons I realized this was lost was looking at how for wizards they get to write free spells into their spellbook at level up. But normally writing spells in the spellbook requires expensive ink with actual cost/expenditures, but you somehow get some free ink simply by 'inspiration' on level up. Granted, some of that cost, easily half of it based on the Learn a Spell activity and its critical success might represent use of expensive materials to test your understanding, so some of it might represent the cost of failure to get it right the first time, and thus 'inspired writing' (100% correct) might cost significantly less ink used to write the spell. But it seems like it should still cost.
However, by there being no actual expected expenditures, for leveling up, we can't as easily (without compromising story here or there) count that ink as materials gotten in the process of leveling up. If leveling up always had an 'expected' expenditure, getting and using the ink could simply be a part of the expenditures for the training.
Such a full expenditure wouldn't have to be hardcoded to paying a tutor... it could be flavored according to the class, and might even involve upgrading their expected equipment.
For a fighter, the player and GM could agree that their 'training' costs go towards buying new, better weapons, or upgrading the quality of the ones that they have. A sorcerer buys magical trinkets to help pull their power out of their bloodline, or might even be allowed to be spent towards magical consumables who exposes their bodies to more magic helping it to further develop.
Monks may spend it on incense to help their focus, or demonstrate their dedication by finding and donating things needed by their order. (or a drunken order monk might spend it on really top tier booze to elevate their experience)
I suppose, with the way the game is defined to work by default one could argue the training costs are simply tied to WBL table and all investments counts as progress. But I think in many stories, actually dedicating some expenses/investments towards 'training/improving' actually could seem like a real benefit.
OK.
Are you proposing something, or looking for help figuring out how to come up with something from scratch?
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Speaking of things lost in translation with regard to wealth acquisition - once upon a time gold coins, not monster corpses, gave you experience to level up. In its early days D&D was much more obviously a heist game where skipping a sleeping monster to steal the treasure was an ideal scenario to get out alive and gain experience, too.
Occasionally I am tempted to try out a variant rule sometimes suggested to recapture the importance that gold once had, by forcing players not only to acquire but spend gold in order to level up (in these cases the gold has to be for some non-adventuring thing--the classic example being carousing, but also might include donations to improve a local temple or in conduct of research) but have not yet had the time/players to run it.
This feels like it would be especially relevant for 5e D&D since gold is virtually irrelevant past a certain point in that game.
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I'd love for an option to pay trainers to dramatically reduce the full week of downtime needed to retrain. That seems like a desirable purchase that does not directly buy power and helps PCs stay unified.
It's also a pretty crappy feeling to have junk Feats stuck in your build, wish you could get the party to take some downtime, but any attempt at "needing to prepare" or however it's flavored just falls on deaf ears.
There's a big bad out there, and good bloody luck getting PCs to opt out of adventuring for even a single day.