Don’t Leave Tuition Assistance on the Table

You may be leaving money on the table if you’re not taking advantage of a possible employee benefit: tuition assistance for higher education.

About half of employers offer undergraduate or graduate tuition assistance, a recent benefits survey found. Major employers like Amazon, Anthem, Walmart, and Lockheed Martin are offering increasingly generous education assistance programs. Companies want to invest in their employees in order to recruit and retain better workers, and to develop their current employees to perform on a higher level.

More importantly, you as a professional could reap big rewards. A Lumina study found that employees who took advantage of tuition reimbursement were more likely to be promoted and saw a 43% increase in wages over three years, compared to those who didn’t.

If your employer offers this benefit by calendar year, you may still have time in 2023 to maximize your benefit with DU’s University College, which offers courses in four terms per year. This top-ranked college offers bachelor’s completion, master’s degree, and certificate programs in 17 different fields.

You can enroll in the Fall 2023 term at University College and complete your classes (and qualify for reimbursement) before the year is out. You’ll enter 2024 with one term under your belt and a fresh slate of employee tuition assistance.

The education enabled with tuition assistance can make a life-changing difference. Almost all (93%) of respondents to an EdAssist survey said that using their employer’s tuition assistance helped them develop the skills they needed to grow within their company.

Tuition assistance can work in several different ways: some employers cover tuition up-front and others will reimburse you. Some have a limit on how much they cover, or specify which programs qualify.

Check with your Human Resources department to find out what your company offers, and start planning your degree or certificate program of study at UniversityCollege.DU.edu.