Finding an Employer to Pay Your Tuition

Summary: Do you know how to find an employer willing to pay for your secondary education? How can you find one?

Question: How can I find an employer that will pay for me to go to school while working?

Answer: Getting an employer to pick up the tab for your college tuition is a creative strategy for covering educational costs that can seem prohibitive. The catch is that most companies that offer a tuition-reimbursement plan provide the assistance only to existing employees. Except for specialized technical positions with a shortage of qualified workers, employers usually will hire candidates that already have any required degrees.

If you can get your foot in the door with an associate’s or bachelor’s degree, many large corporations will pay for classes as you work toward your next degree. Smaller companies are less likely to have an across-the-board policy but may oblige if you are a valued employee and the training relates directly to your effectiveness on the job. Although there is no single source listing all the companies that offer tuition reimbursement, individual companies include this information on their websites or in company literature provided to potential job applicants.

Another possibility to consider, depending on your background, is securing a professional position working for a college that covers all or part of the tuition for its employees. You can also try to line up a paid internship that will help defray costs and possibly lead to a full-time placement upon graduation.

• See More Companies Are Offering College Tuition to Employees for more information.