Want Tuition Reimbursement? These Companies Pay For College!
Tuition reimbursement can make it easier to afford school. Here’s a master list of companies that pay for college as of 2024!
Jobs with tuition reimbursement are more common than you think!
A lot of folks dream about it at one point or another, but the crazy-high prices of higher education often make those dreams seem unattainable. Sure, you’d love the chance to get a degree in something you’re passionate about, but you can’t afford to end up tens of thousands of dollars in debt.
While it’s difficult to work while attending school, it’s definitely doable! And luckily, there are many companies that pay for college education. These companies make attaining a degree much less stressful by reimbursing your tuition and taking on at least part of the financial burden (if not all!).
What companies pay for college? Here’s a list broken down by sector:
In the retail industry? There are several companies that will pay for your college:
Walmart tuition reimbursement covers the cost of tuition + books. Sam’s Club, too!
Although Walmart had previously offered degrees for $1 per day, they did away with that requirement starting in 2021. Now, all Walmart and Sam’s Club employees can participate in the program for free at schools like the University of Denver, Louisiana State University, the University of Arkansas, Northwestern University, Penn Foster, and more.
This benefit kicks in on the first day of employment and participants are not obligated to stay at Walmart or Sam’s Club once completed. This program is for both full and part-time employees and it covers 100% of tuition and books!
The Target tuition reimbursement policy offers debt-free degrees for US associates.
All of Target’s full and part-time team members (that’s over 340,000 people!) have access to totally free undergraduate and associate degrees, textbooks, & more with zero out-of-pocket costs at over 40 schools thanks to their partnership with Guild Education. Since its inception in 2021, the Dream to Be program has been a big success! Plus, Target will partially fund a Master’s Degree provided the program is part of the Guild network.
Full-time Best Buy employees are eligible for up to $5,250 in tuition reimbursement.
Save money on school thanks to the Best Buy tuition reimbursement policy. Undergraduates who have worked at Best Buy for at least six months can receive up to $3,500, and graduate students may be reimbursed up to $5,250 per calendar year. They may also cover your textbook costs. Plus, immediate family members may qualify for tuition discounts at certain institutions!
Amazon tuition reimbursement prepays your college tuition.
The company offers to prepay your tuition and reimburse you for books and fees up to an annual maximum. Several degrees in qualified and in-demand fields are eligible. Choose from hundreds of schools across 14 countries. Their tuition reimbursement policy now also covers GEDs and high school diplomas too! This benefit kicks in after just 90 days of employment!
Lowe’s offers 100% debt-free education programs for full-time employees.
The Lowe’s tuition reimbursement policy was expanded in 2022. The company now offers 100% debt-free education programs for their 300,000+ full-time and part-time employees through their partnership with Guild. The policy covers undergraduate degrees, GEDs, college prep courses, and English language classes at over 20 schools. Lowe’s will also continue to offer their $2,500 annual grants for tuition expenses – both within the Guild catalog and approved programs outside the Guild catalog. Employees can also take advantage of their apprentice program!
Get up to $5,000 each year thanks to the Home Depot tuition reimbursement policy.
The maximum amount you can be reimbursed depends on the type of employee you are (full-time, part-time, or salaried), and participants can choose between on-campus and online classes.
Costco tuition reimbursement is in the form of a scholarship.
Eligible full-time and part-time Costco employees can receive up to $2,500 a year to help pay for college degrees at accredited universities. This is done through the Costco Employee Scholarship.
Check out these delivery companies that offer tuition reimbursement:
FedEx tuition reimbursement covers up to $5,250 for long-term employees.
FedEx offers up to $5,250 for tuition reimbursement per year with no lifetime cap. They also have a scholarship program that extends to an employee’s dependents. In addition, FedEx recently paired with Robert Morris University and the school now offers low-cost tuition to FedEx employees!
UPS tuition reimbursement offers up to $5,250 per calendar year.
Unlike some companies with a minimum employment time requirement, eligibility for the Earn and Learn program begins the day you’re hired, and you can receive a lifetime maximum of $25,000 in assistance.
Select grocery chains also offer great reimbursement programs:
Hy-Vee tuition reimbursement grants employees up to $10,500 per year.
Select full-time and regular-time Hy-Vee employees can get up to $10,500 per year if they pursue a Hy-Vee-approved degree of study. The list of approved degrees includes popular pathways like Marketing, Healthcare Management, Computer Information Science, Business, and more! If employees do not wish to pursue the approved degrees, they can still receive up to $5,250 per year if they study through Bellevue University. Plus, immediate family members of employees can get up to $2,500 per year to pursue any degree through Bellevue!
Get up to $21,000 with Kroger tuition reimbursement.
Kroger’s tuition reimbursement program will help you Feed Your Future! Associates are eligible for up to $3,500 annually in tuition reimbursements. Full and part-time employees can collect up to $21,000 for their GED, undergraduate, or graduate degrees.
Publix offers reimbursement for both curriculum and individual courses.
There is a Publix tuition reimbursement policy too and it’s pretty good. Employees who have worked at least 90 days for an average of 10 hours per week are eligible. You can check out their list of approved undergrad programs to see which ones qualify for up to $4,000 in reimbursements per calendar year for university enrollment, or $2,200 per year for individual courses or community college enrollment.
The Meijer tuition reimbursement policy is one of the best in the industry.
If you want to work at one of the best companies that pay for college, apply to Meijer. The popular grocery store offers a plethora of ways for employees to save on the cost of education. Eligible employees can receive free tuition for high school and undergraduate degrees at select institutions thanks to Education Access. Employees can also get free tuition at Purdue University Global.
If you choose a school at a different institution, you may be eligible for up to $5,250 per year in tuition reimbursement. Employees and their children get free tutoring and are also eligible for the Fred & Lena Meijer Scholarship which pays out $10,000 towards education expenses.
Save for college thanks to the Sheetz tuition reimbursement benefit.
Do you work at Sheetz? You can collect up to $5,250 per year to pay for school. Plus, you might score additional discounts at select schools.
These petroleum companies can help combat the cost of college:
BP tuition reimbursement will slash costs by 90%.
As long as employees are studying an approved curriculum and earn a passing grade, BP will reimburse up to 90% of tuition costs, according to Money magazine.
Pilot Company employees are eligible for up to $18,000 in tuition reimbursement.
If you struggle to maintain both a full-time work and school schedule (it’s really difficult, especially with a family!), you don’t have to worry too much about the costs with Pilot Company. Both full and part-time employees are equally eligible for the $18,000 lifetime reimbursement.
The financial sector includes companies that pay for college:
Wells Fargo tuition reimbursement can help both employees and their children with college costs.
Wells Fargo offers a generous $5,000 reimbursement for tuition expenses per year! And even better, they also have scholarships specifically for the dependent children of employees with awards ranging between $1,000 and $3,000.
Get up to $5,000 for tuition reimbursement with Capital One.
Capital One offers full and part-time employees up to $5,250 per year for tuition reimbursement. Choose between 200 different schools through the Bright Horizons EdAssist SolutionsTM Education Network.
Working for Fidelity can reduce student loan debt.
Fidelity has a robust Educational Assistance program that offers a fully funded undergraduate program for eligible entry-level customer service employees, select fully-funded certifications for associates, and up to $5,250 per year towards other eligible programs.
Plus, through their Student Loan Assistance program, employees can get a lifetime maximum of up to $15,000 to pay off their student loan debt. They also provide other financial benefits to help pay down debt, including incentivizing employees with employer contributions to their retirement account if they pay down their student loans. It’s one of the best companies that pay for college.
Bank of America has both prepaid vouchers and tuition reimbursement options.
The Bank of America tuition reimbursement policy states employees can receive up to $7,500 per year (up to $5250 tax-free)! They also have several learning and development programs that employees can utilize to grow their skills.
Discover Financial offers fully paid bachelor’s degrees through their Shine Brighter U program.
One of the top companies that pay for college is Discover Financial. As of 2024, U.S. employees can receive fully paid bachelor’s degrees at in-network schools. These degrees include business, technology, and other related fields. The company also offers partial funding for qualified associate’s degrees, graduate degrees, select certificates, and out-of-network bachelor’s degrees. This benefit kicks in on day one of employment!
Mastercard offers tuition assistance and partners with several universities.
One of the benefits of working at Mastercard is tuition assistance. The company pays for select pathways of study. For example, MC employees studying at SANS Technology Institute can receive up to $54,000 towards their degree.
Charles Schwab lists tuition reimbursement as a benefit.
We’re not surprised Charles Schwab makes the list of companies that pay for college. Though they don’t provide an exact amount on their website, they do list tuition reimbursement as an employee perk.
Morgan Stanley employees receive several educational benefits.
Career development is encouraged at Morgan Stanley. The company offers tuition and licensing reimbursement, discounts on graduate-school test prep. They also provide access to online courses from industry leaders, to the Harvard Business Review, to over 10,000 LinkedIn Learning education videos, and employee networking groups that promote career development and diversity.
USAA offers 100% tuition-free education to employees and their families.
In 2024, USAA extended its tuition reimbursement program to provide 100% tuition-free education to employees AND their families! This extends to employees’ spouses, domestic partners, and children ages 18 – 26.
The program provides employees access to over 150 programs from Guild’s Learning Marketplace and these programs include associate’s and bachelor’s degrees, high school completion and college prep, English language-learning, and short form certificates and bootcamp offerings. There are flexible classes and career coaching available. Employee’s spouses, domestic partners, and children will have access to a catalog of around 30 different programs.
That’s not all! Starting in 2024, USAA is providing a student loan 401(k) matching contribution program!
Some restaurants have super generous tuition reimbursement plans:
Chick-fil-A offers generous scholarships for lucky employees.
Chick-fil-A tuition reimbursement comes in the form of scholarships. Eligible employees have the chance to win a True Inspiration scholarship for $25,000 or a Leadership scholarship for up to $2,500. Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale and be able to show community involvement in the 12 months prior to applying for the scholarships. They have also partnered with over 100 schools to offer tuition discounts of up to 30%.
Papa John’s tuition reimbursement makes education more accessible for all employees.
The pizza chain’s Dough & Degrees program offers 100% reimbursement for education expenses in select curriculums for all corporate employees. As of 2024, franchise employee benefits may be different and vary by location.
Chipotle has both grad & undergrad opportunities – including 100% tuition-free programs.
The popular fast food chain is partnered with Guild Education to encourage their associates to pursue both graduate and post-graduate degrees! For select degrees, Chipotle will pay 100% of tuition costs. For other Guild programs, the Chipotle tuition reimbursement is up to $5,250. Chipotle also helps pay for GED courses and college prep classes!
Wendy’s will reimburse a percentage of tuition costs for eligible employees.
Wendy’s will reimburse students a percentage of tuition costs based on their course grades. Employees who work at least 20 hours a week are eligible to receive this benefit which covers up to 2 courses per semester.
McDonalds tuition reimbursement is between $2,500-$5,250 per year.
McDonald’s Archways to Opportunity program offers partial tuition coverage for any employee working at least 15 hours per week for at least 90 days.
Starbucks tuition reimbursement covers 100% of the cost of Arizona State University’s online program.
If you enjoy online classes, it doesn’t get much better than the Starbucks tuition reimbursement policy. The company covers 100% of tuition costs for all benefits-eligible employees who attend Arizona State University’s online program. As long as you’re going for your first bachelor’s degree, Starbucks has you covered! As far as companies that pay for college go, Starbucks is among the best.
Texas Roadhouse employees get tuition reimbursement.
In 2021, Texas Roadhouse announced that employees who worked 30 hours or more would be eligible to receive up to $5,250 a year towards school. As of 2024, Texas Roadhouse tuition reimbursement was still listed as a benefit.
KFC offers a tuition-free bachelor’s or master’s degree online at Western Governors University.
If you are interested in one of more than 60 degrees in Business, IT, Teaching, or Healthcare, KFC has you covered if you are employed at a participating KFC location. (Some franchise locations may not participate so be sure to ask your potential location.)
You can apply at any time from your first day of employment even if you are only working one day a week, and enrollment begins at the start of each month so you can get started pretty quickly. To maintain eligibility, employees must complete the application and any necessary steps plus continue their employment as long as you want to continue receiving free tuition.
Interested in tech? These are tech companies that pay for college tuition:
The Microsoft tuition reimbursement policy is reportedly generous.
Microsoft lists “reimbursement” as an employee benefit, but doesn’t outline specifics. However, both Fortune magazine and folks on Glassdoor are saying Microsoft pays up to $10,000 per year for employees who have been there a minimum of two years. Courses must pertain to your work at Microsoft.
Word on the street is that Apple tuition reimbursement is about $5,250 per year.
The Apple benefits page for 2024 states the company will pay for tuition reimbursement. According to comments on Glassdoor, the company pays up to $5,250 per year for select programs.
With their own university, Intel has a generous reimbursement program.
Intel is one of the top companies that pay for college. The total reimbursement amount used to be up to $50,000 per program! Though we couldn’t confirm if that amount is the same in 2024, the current Intel benefits page still lists tuition reimbursement as an Intel perk. They also offer free tutoring, resource services, seminars, and scholarships for employees’ children.
Get tax-free Google tuition reimbursement.
Part of the benefits of working at Google include up to $5,000 a year in tuition reimbursement provided they get a good grade. The company also offers student loan assistance.
Qualcomm offers 100% tuition reimbursement for select programs.
Qualcomm collaborates with several universities to provide its employees with tons of opportunities to achieve their research goals. Employees can claim FULL tuition reimbursement for programs completed through accredited institutions or through massive open online courses like Coursera or Udacity. If you’re looking for companies that pay for college, Qualcomm is a good one to check out.
T-Mobile tuition reimbursement is competitive.
Like many other tuition reimbursement jobs, full-time employees are eligible for up to $5,250 per year and part-time employees can earn back about half that amount at $2,500 per year. Employees are able to apply after 90 days of employment! Use the T-Mobile EdAssist portal that is part of Bright Horizons to find out more about tuition reimbursement and benefits.
Raytheon Technologies supports life-long learning and is one of the companies that pay for college.
On its benefits page, Raytheon states the company offers tuition assistance. The company has invested over $1.5 billion in the program and will pay upfront for tuition. Though Raytheon’s website doesn’t mention specifics, employees on Indeed report they can receive up to $10,000 per year.
Genentech dishes out up to $10,000 for tuition assistance.
This tech company takes care of its own! Genentech gives employees up to $10,000 per year in tuition assistance.
Save on school with Lockheed Martin tuition reimbursement.
Aerospace company, Lockheed Martin, offers employees both tuition reimbursement and student loan repayment assistance.
The AT&T tuition reimbursement program has paid out millions to employees.
AT&T believes in employee development, so both managerial and non-managerial employees can receive tuition reimbursement. While the specifics aren’t given, the company promotes a large figure of $10.5 million invested in tuition assistance in 2022 alone! This benefit extends to part-time employees too!
Spectrum offers tuition-free degrees (or up to $10,000 a year for programs outside the Guild catalog).
Want a company that invests in an employee’s growth? Spectrum is one of the top companies that pay for college. They offer tuition-free degrees thanks to their partnership with Guild. Tuition-free degrees include associate’s degrees, bachelor’s degrees, certificates and boot camp programs. Employees can also collect up to $10,000 a year to pay towards advanced degrees or programs outside the Guild catalog.
Oracle tuition reimbursement is available for select programs of study.
This popular company will pay up to $5,250 a year for approved programs of study. The company also provides student loan refinancing.
Communications giant Verizon offers tuition reimbursement of up to $8,000 per year.
The Verizon website states tuition reimbursement varies by position, but it is a benefit. The company pays up to $8,000 per year and works with institutions like Arizona State University. Both full-time and part-time employees are eligible beginning the date of hire.
See the world while crushing student debt with these airlines:
JetBlue has saved employees over 12 million in tuition costs!
Get the majority of your tuition paid for when you work for this company. JetBlue Scholars launched in 2016 to bring affordable online education to employees. Over 700 degrees have been awarded since its inception.
Working for Boeing for one year gives you access to their tuition assistance program.
Boeing will cover 100% of tuition costs for STEM-related programs through their Learning Together program! Both full-time and part-time employees are eligible. As of 2024, those seeking graduate degrees are eligible for up to $25,000 a year and those seeking a bachelor’s degree are eligible for up to $15,000!
The healthcare industry includes several companies that pay for college:
Mass General tuition reimbursement is up to $2,000 per year.
Employees who are benefits-eligible can receive up to $2,000 a year towards courses related to their profession.
HCA Healthcare is another one of the companies that pay for college.
You’ll be eligible for up to $5,250 in tuition assistance per calendar year when you work at HCA Healthcare.
Receive tuition assistance and loan repayment thanks to Cleveland Clinic.
The Cleveland Clinic is happy to help employees pay for tuition. Employees are eligible after their first 90 days of employment. Though we were unable to confirm the exact amount for 2024, in the past, employees have received up to $7,500 per year. Full-time nurses can also receive annual loan repayment assistance of up to $15,750.
Northwell tuition reimbursement can help you live a better life.
Northwell Health has paid 22.4 million dollars towards their staff’s education. Eligible employees receive 100% paid tuition towards a master’s degree from Northwell Health Hofstra University. Employees wishing to seek any level of degree at any accredited university can receive up to $5,000 in tuition reimbursement per calendar year.
That’s not all! Continuous learning programs are offered at no cost to team members. Employees can also. get education discounts at a number of select colleges and universities plus have access to LinkedIn Learning courses, over 50 mentorship programs, and more. Plus, if you need student loan refinancing, Northwell can help with that too!
Mount Sinai has tuition reimbursement as part of their benefits package.
Employees of the Mount Sinai Healthcare system are eligible for tuition reimbursement. View each location for specifics.
The New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) tuition reimbursement has been raised to $6,000.
Members of the NYSNA can get tuition reimbursement in the amount of $6,000 per fiscal year if they are employed full-time. Nurses employed part-time can receive up to $3,000 per fiscal year.
Are you a pharmacist? Walgreens tuition reimbursement comes in the form of a scholarship.
If you’re a pharmacist, the Walgreens Pharmacy Educational Assistance Program (PEAP) provides annual scholarships. If you get a scholarship every year, you can receive up to $25,000 for school. Visit Walgreens’ website for more information.
Ascension Health also has a tuition reimbursement program.
Employees can seek Ascension tuition reimbursement. The healthcare company also offers free access to professional development resources.
Anthem is one of the healthcare companies that pay for college.
If you enjoy working in healthcare, look into the tuition reimbursement plan offered by Anthem. Full-time employees are eligible for up to $5,000 per year to cover the cost of tuition. Part-time employees are eligible for up to $2,500 per year.
Virgin Pulse offers up to $2,000 a year in tuition reimbursement.
All Virgin Pulse employees receive $2,000 a year to use towards education expenses.
UnitedHealth Group is invested in employees.
Work at least 20 hours per week and you’re eligible for tuition reimbursement at UnitedHealth Group and can collect up to $5,250 per year.
Many insurance companies are also happy to pay for college:
Work for Liberty Mutual and get 100% tuition reimbursement.
Liberty Mutual has amazing benefits and is one of the more well-known companies that pay for college. After one year of full-time employment, employees can receive 100% tuition reimbursement for undergraduate and graduate degrees.
State Farm Insurance offers several ways to pay for school.
State Farm is one of the companies that pay for college via tuition assistance and tuition reimbursement. Employees can receive up to $7,500 a year for an undergraduate degree and $10,000 for a graduate degree. If you take courses at Bellevue University, they pay even more!
Nationwide workers receive tuition assistance.
They said they were on your side and they meant it! Through their Educational Assistance Program, Nationwide offers up to $5,250 a year for degrees, certifications and technical insurance courses. Children of Nationwide employees can apply for the National Merit Scholarship Program which awards 10 recipients a $1,000 stipend towards college that is renewable for up to 4 years.
And there are plenty of other companies that pay for college!
Disney tuition reimbursement pays up to 100%.
Disney employees are in luck as its one of the companies that pay for college! The company pays 100% of tuition upfront. Apply to a huge selection of eligible schools and programs. Disney will also reimburse for books and other expenses.
Deloitte tuition reimbursement is generous for grad school students.
If you can see yourself working with Deloitte long-term, their Graduate School Assistance Program may help you get into a top business school with zero debt. GSAP participants receive full reimbursement for their tuition as long as they work for Deloitte during the two years following their graduation.
Have student loans already? Deloitte can also help you with refinancing.
Ford Motor Company employees get up to $8,000 a year in tuition assistance.
When you work at Ford and belong to the UAW, you can take advantage of up to $8,000 in tuition assistance through their Educational Tuition Assistance Program (ETAP). They also offer up to $1,000 for textbook reimbursement and will pay for classes related to personal development. Dependent children of employees can apply for the UAW-Ford Scholarship for Dependent Children which grants up to $1,600.
In addition to paying for employee’s education, Ford offers tuition assistance to spouses and dependent children of deceased employees. Plus, employees who have been indefinitely laid off are eligible for up to $9,400 for vocation retraining expenses.
Caterpillar’s tuition reimbursement policy covers up to 90% of college expenses.
Full and part-time Caterpillar employees can take advantage of their generous tuition reimbursement program. 90% of tuition, fees, and textbook costs will be reimbursed by the company.
PepsiCo. covers 100% of tuition for in-network institutions.
Pepsi invests in employees. Get 100% of tuition covered for in-network schools. If attending an out-of-network school, you can still receive some tuition reimbursement with manager approval.
Smuckers offers tuition assistance and scholarships to employees.
They also offer the ability to purchase company shares via a payroll deduction as well as scholarships for the children of employees.
Procter and Gamble offers tuition reimbursement among many other benefits.
While they don’t advertise the specific parameters of their reimbursement program, some websites like Monster.com report that they’ll pay back up to $40,000.
Aerotek offers tuition reimbursement for career-related courses.
Work at Aerotek for at least six months, and you may qualify for tuition reimbursement for courses related to your career.
CVS’s tuition reimbursement policy states the company pays 100% at select universities.
When you work for CVS, you can score FREE tuition at participating universities and discounts at over 220 schools. The company also offers FREE business, development, and leadership courses. Plus, those attending Career Online High School also receive free tuition. In addition to these benefits, CVS offers student loan refinancing, free development courses, and possibly other forms of tuition reimbursement or assistance.
The Emory University tuition reimbursement pays for up to 5 credit hours per academic session.
The staff and faculty at Emory University can get tuition reimbursement if they choose to study at another institution. Full-time employees can be reimbursed for up to 5 credit hours per academic session and part-time employees can be reimbursed for 2.5 credit hours.
Receive CarMax tuition reimbursement through EdCor.
CarMax is one of the companies that pay for college. Full-time and part-time employees may be eligible for tuition assistance. If you’re a CarMax employee, use your EdCor account to apply for reimbursement.
Get up to $3,000 in Kaiser tuition reimbursement.
Kaiser Permanente employees who work at least 20 hours a week are eligible to receive up to $3,000 in tuition reimbursement.
John Deere offers a generous tuition reimbursement policy.
If you’re lucky enough to be a John Deere employee, you might be eligible for tuition reimbursement. The company offers full-time employees up to $7,000 for undergraduate degrees and up to $15,000 for advanced degrees.
Pioneer is another company that will help pay for college.
Pioneer Natural Resources has a ton of amazing benefits, including tuition reimbursement.
Score up to $5,000 per year in Tractor Supply tuition reimbursement.
Employees seeking a higher position at the company can receive $5,000 in tuition reimbursement from Tractor Supply. The company also hosts a scholarship program for employees’ dependents.
Hip Tip: Have student loans? There are several loan forgiveness programs that may be available to you!
Find out about scholarships that can help you pay for school! Plus, check out these weird scholarships too!
Working for a college/university is another way. Both through student loan forgiveness or tuition reimbursement through the college themselves. I’ve worked at several and most have had cheap/free tuition sometimes all the way through your ph.D for the employee and usually for their kids, too.
Yes, that’s how I made it. I went to a Community college for AA. After, I transferred to the university to get my bachelor and I was employed there prior. Met the 1 year requirement prior transfer and was able to get 100% tuition for 2 classes. After that, stayed and got my master’s. For master’s, they covered 80% for 2 classes each semester. Took me 2 years to do the master’s but well worth it. Graduated with my master’s and I didn’t owe anybody a dime. Paid the 20% of the master’s as I was working, also a scholarship helped as well for the master’s
Some unions, AFSCME for example, have free associate programs for members and their families as well. AFSCME free college partners with Eastern Gateway Community College in Ohio and offers online schooling as well. I believe they also partnered with another college to offer some bachelor degrees.
I came here to mention this too!
My daughter is currently taking advantage of the Wells Fargo Children of Employees scholarship and it just recently got renewed for the upcoming year.
Awesome to hear that, Susan! 🙌
Just read the fine print; I went to school part-time for three years and my company paid for it. They were down-sizing and my job was being eliminated. I found a new job a few months before our end date and six months later got a letter from a collection agency saying I had to pay over $1,000 back since I hadn’t worked 12 months after the last reimbursement payment. They wouldn’t even take into account that I would have been losing my original job within months. But at least they paid for the first two years and I found a job that I loved even though it is part-time and pays a lot less; not having all that stress is worth it!
Years ago my husband’s company paid for his Master Degree program with the stipulation you had to work a year with the company after graduation to qualify for the reimbursement. Things were getting bad and he was looking for a new job. When he got offered a job at a new company he asked if they could push back his start date by one week just so his one year tuition reimbursement would go through and the new company agreed:) He got his reimbursement and has been at the new company for 13 years now.
Wendy’s offers tuition reimbursement if you work 20 hours a week.
Thanks for sharing! Good to know!
Hopefully new tuition-free options will be available soon for everyone. This is especially needed for single parents and military spouses that are juggling so much already. But great that some companies are giving back.
Community college is the way to go. Many also have partnerships with four year schools which will save even more money. Too many kids are in crazy debt they will never dig themselves out of.
Yes! In most cases your FAFSA grant will cover ALL the cost of community colleges, I got my associate’s for free and then transferred to a 4 year school that has agreements with the community college. I’m now a semester away from my bachelor’s and my total debt is 7,000 in subsidized loans which means the interest is being paid while I’m in school and a year after I graduate! Getting your bachelor’s doesn’t have to cost so much, you just have to be smart about it and not take loans you don’t need!
I thought I saved a post from several years ago about odd scholarships but I must not have. Hip2Save, if there was such a thing, can you post that link again? My son is going to be a senior and we’re looking for any opportunity to cut the cost of college. Thanks.
You could try Fastweb. It’s a scholarship search engine that’s been around for a long time: https://www.fastweb.com
Oh yes! Here you go! https://hip2save.com/tips/weird-cool-college-scholarships/
Thanks so much for the request! I’ve passed this along to the team to look into updating!
Kellyfornia…my daughter will now be a sophomore in college, so it wasn’t long ago that she was in your son’s position. My daughter received several scholarships and a few things she did that helped tremendously were: 1. She started a spreadsheet which included the scholarship name, date due, when she sent application in and response. 2. In the first week of senior year, she went in to see the college and career counselor at her high school and made frequent visits. That office will know of scholarships available (particularly local ones) as well as national scholarships that students in previous years have received. Remind you student that even the smaller scholarships (ie. $500 will pay for books, etc). Also – some scholarships will have very early due dates – such as October. So that is another reason for seeing the career counselor early. 3. One key component of the scholarship application will be the essay. Make sure your son really thinks through the question/questions and makes himself stand out. Also, he should ask an English teacher or the career counselor at school to review his essay. But make sure he gives them plenty of time since other students might be asking too. 4. Determine who he will ask for references, making sure to select people who truly know him well. Again, make sure he is watching deadlines and ask for the references early and not last minute. 5. As you look at schools, realize that private schools give very large merit scholarships and often then make the cost of attendance similar to a large state university. At first the school my daughter chose was so much more expensive but immediately upon acceptance she was awarded a $21,000 per year scholarship and that was renewable for all 4 years provided she maintains a certain GPA. She did not have to apply separately for that and it was awarded at the time her acceptance letter. arrived.
Last – My daughter identified what she was looking for: she wanted a smaller school where she would get to know her professors well; she wanted to be within 3 hours of home; she wanted a school in which she would begin her major classes immediately her freshman year rather than only gen ed classes. Last year was her first year, she is an education major, and already has taken 4 education classes. So in addition to looking for scholarships, if your son has not yet selected what school he wants to attend, you can help him narrow down his choices with questions such as what size university do you want to attend, how far from home is the maximum you want to go, if he knows his major of study, do any of the schools he is looking at have any unique feature to their program, etc. BEST of luck to your son. It can seem overwhelming at times but with perseverance, there are many scholarships out there. Hope sharing our experience helps.
Curious since your daughter was able to take her major classes immediately, does the school allow her to skip any of the gen. ed. requirements and replace them with classes more focused on her major? Or is it the college’s policy to focus on the major instead of wasting time repeating much of what was learned in high school.?
I work for local county government. Certain government loans offer forgiveness after 10 years service with a government agency. This is on the FAFSA website.
Oh interesting! Thanks for taking the time to share that!
Would love to hear from experienced parents on the process of applying to colleges and how to prep our kids in middle-high school to help them get into good colleges/universities. Just a suggestion to Hip2save if they can start a post where we can share our experiences and guide other parents. Thank you!
GREAT idea! Thanks for the request! I’ll be sure to pass this along to the team!
I encouraged my kids to do their homework right after school, they both knew the importance of college and good grades. I paid for private instruction in Spanish so my sons grade would be good (it only took 4 sessions). My daughter knew what college she wanted to attend and knew it required not only good grades but several AP classes. She is 30 days away from going to her dream college, with the ability to avoid loans for 3 semesters. Watch grades, attitudes and friends. My daughter had a teacher that was prejudice to females, after meeting with the teacher, I took my concerns to the principle, many students grades went up due to this investigation. Don’t be afraid to meet with teachers,counsolor, principles, superintendent, I have even gone to the school board. Always fight for your kids and they will learn not to be afraid of teaches, they will find their own voices to ask why a grade was given. The counsoler will be a great help for colleges.
Thank you! Appreciate it.
Are there any conditions on tuition? Such as the degree you pursue has to be something in demand with the company? Or you have to work for them after you finish?
Often, yes. There is always fine print.
Ups also provides free Healthcare after 9 months for part time employees, spouse and kids. The plan is amazing with a low deductible of 100 and max oop of 1000. The only reason I’m here is for the insurance and pension.
What is the pension like at ups?
U earn about 60 dollars per years worked for example you work 20 years you would get 1200 pension !!!
My daughter worked at Chik-fil-A during her studies at the local community college. They pretty much paid half of her two-year tuition there!
Lots of banks also offer to cover college tuition for their employees.
Oh awesome! Thanks for sharing that, Peaches! Good to know! 🙌💕
Most of these comments are 2 yrs old. Can hip2save remove outdated comments on posts? Thanks. This kind of post requires up to date input.
Thanks for the request! Sorry for any confusion. ❤️ We’ll take a look and remove any that would no longer be relevant.🤗
i assumed all of these posts were current – thanks for pointing that out!
Hi Lizzi! The post details have been updated since the previous posting to ensure that all information is accurate and up-to-date. 🤗 We’ve reviewed any older comments and have left some older ones that we feel provide value to other readers. Hope this helps! 💗