9 Employers Who Pay for College even for Part time Jobs
Most people go to college to land a good job, but thanks to a tight labor market, several major employers are flipping the script by offering jobs that lead to college.
Disney, Starbucks and Walmart have all announced education programs that will not just reimburse a capped amount of tuition but directly pay for their employees’ degrees at select universities.
Why would companies do this?
Well, according to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. economy is continuing to add jobs in record numbers, which creates more openings than there are workers to fill them.
This situation forces employers to compete with each other for new applicants and to retain current employees.
The result is good news for workers and job seekers alike — usually in the form of better wages and benefits.
Or, in this case, a free college degree.
Jobs That Pay for College
Before you go and quit your current gig to become a barista or a Disney cast member, you need to know the particulars of each program.
1. Disney – All Hourly Workers
The Disney Aspire program will cover 100% of the tuition costs for hourly U.S. workers who want a bachelor’s or master’s degree from one of Disney’s partner universities.
“Disney will pay for tuition upfront, making it even easier for cast members to take the first step,” said Thomas Smith, an editorial content director at Disney Parks, in an announcement from August 2018, when the program launched.
Disney Aspire universities include the University of Florida and the University of Central Florida. All hourly cast members, regardless of location, can enroll in UF’s online programs. UCF is limited to Florida residents.
Disney employs more than 80,000 hourly workers, all of whom are eligible for the Aspire program after their first 90 days of employment. Disney will also cover the cost of textbooks and high school diploma programs.
2. Starbucks – All Employees
Starbucks has been ahead of the pack, offering its U.S. employees access to Arizona State University’s online bachelor’s degrees for years.
The landmarkStarbucks College Achievement Plan(SCAP) launched in 2015 and is available to all benefits-eligible employees in the U.S., which is to say all employees after a certain amount of time.
Employees are considered benefits-eligible after “the first day of the second month after receiving a minimum of 240 total hours over three full, consecutive months.”
That means part-time employees must be working at Starbucks or Starbucks-owned businesses for at least five months and have been scheduled to work at least 240 hours in the first three months. Benefits for full-time employees kick in sooner.
Arizona State University offers 80 different degrees online, and Starbucks will cover 100% of the tuition costs after scholarships and financial aid kick in. ASU first gives SCAP students a 42% scholarship, then the students
get additional aid by filling out the FAFSA as part of the program. Starbucks covers the remaining tuition costs.
Military service members and veterans can extend these benefits to certain family members.
SCAP doesn’t cover the cost of books or supplies.
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3. WalMart
Walmart is the largest employer in the U.S., with an estimated 1.4 million employees.
Through its Live Better Uprogram, all of them are eligible for specific degrees at six partner universities.
Current partner universities include Bellevue University, Brandman University, Purdue University Global, Southern New Hampshire University, University of Florida and Wilmington University — with each university offering fully online programs.
Employees who live near a partner university may attend in-person, but the vast majority choose to attend online, a Walmart spokesperson said.
For bachelor’s degree seekers, the program is not 100% free, however. Employees pay $1 per day toward college tuition and Walmart covers the rest. Workers are limited to degrees in fields related to business, supply-chain management, computer science or cyber security.
College tuition is only one facet of Walmart’s education program. For high school student-employees, Walmart will cover the full cost of ACT or SAT prep classes, plus seven hours of college credit. Walmart also pays the costs of a high school diploma or GED program for employees who didn’t finish high school.
Additional perks through Live Better U include discounted master’s degrees and free foreign language classes. Eligible workers can also pass on these benefits to family members.
4. UPS
Part-time employees of UPS are eligible to receive up to $5,250 in tuition assistance per year, up to a lifetime maximum of $25,000. Eligibility begins on the date of hire. Also, most full-time UPS employees started at the company as part-time or non-manager employees, including managers and executives!
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5. Publix
According to the company’s website, employees may be reimbursed for not only traditional degree programs, but also some individual courses and online programs. Any associate with at least six months of continuous service, who works an average of 10 hours per week is eligible. Associates enrolled in a four-year college or university, may be reimbursed up to $3,200 annually, with a lifetime limit of $12,800.
Associates enrolled in undergraduate courses at a two-year community college, technical program or individual course program may be reimbursed up to $1,700 annually, with a lifetime limit of $3,400.
6. Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo offers several scholarships to children of employees, ranging from $1,000 to $3,000 each. In addition, they offer their employees up to $5,000 in tuition reimbursement annually, for eligible tuition expenses.
7. Smuckers
Employees may be eligible for up to 100% reimbursement of tuition costs for Company-approved college courses. In addition to that, they offer a scholarship program for children of employees valued at $3,000 per year to 10 recipients – and, its renewable! And also a lifetime supply of delicious strawberry jam! (ok we made up that last part…)
8. Chipotle offers up to $5,250 per year in tuition assistance
9. McDonald’s is not to be left out with it’s ‘Archways to OpportunityTM‘ program. McOpCo full-time Store Manager Trainees, Certified Swing Managers, Department Managers, or General Managers are eligible for $5,250 in tuition assistance as long they have and maintain a performance rating of “significant performance” throughout the course/program. McOpCo restaurant Crew, Floor Supervisors, Shift Manager Trainees, Primary Maintenance, or other part-time employees are eligible for $700 in assistance each year. This also comes with some additional eligibility requirements
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Bonus:
10. Fidelity
Full-time employees with at least six months of service may apply for tuition reimbursement for up to 90% of of certain costs, up to $10,000 per year
Eligibility is subject to manager approval and the coursework must be at an accredited college or university and be work-related.
