Tuition Aid
Tuition aid is an acknowledged and valued benefit of employment at many corporations. Through their own training programs--on-site and via distance technologies--corporations also build the knowledge and skills of their workforce. Many employers extend those educational programs even further through partnership and collaboration with higher education institutions. Sharp employees can benefit from their employers' interest in education and build their own skills and knowledge.

Many employers promote continued education by supporting their employees' advanced study at colleges and universities. Fortune magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work For" (Volume 141, No. 1, January 10, 2000) states, "The 100 Best also do their utmost to address their employees' intellectual needs. Some 53 offer on-site university courses, and 91 have tuition reimbursement, with 24 reimbursing more than $4,000 a year. One company offers up to $15,600 a year."

Tuition aid policies, like any other employee benefit, vary in what they cover, how much they pay for, and when they pay. While some generous employers pay 100 percent of tuition and fees, others cover tuition but not application fees or other student fees associated with campus life. Employers may also limit the amount paid based on the grades earned, using a payment scale keyed to the grade. They may choose to set a dollar limit for each employee based on the calendar or fiscal year. Employers also vary as to when they will pay the agreed-upon tuition. Some pay tuition in advance and deal directly with you, the employee. Others forward a tuition voucher directly to the institution where you are enrolled, and all the fiscal transactions will occur between the employer and the educational institution. Others reimburse your costs after your course is completed, thus requiring you to fund the initial program costs.

Employers may set programmatic limits on what they will support. Most will support colleges and universities that are regionally accredited. Some will also support institutions with other specialized accreditation, such as the Distance Education and Training Council or recognition by the American Council on Education.

Legal issues may also affect corporate tuition aid policies. At times, the law defines tuition aid as a benefit free of tax implications only when the advanced education is job-related. Some employers then support only programs identified as job-related, a concept that is sometimes difficult to define. Accounting courses for an employee of the accounting department are clearly job-related, but the question of whether liberal arts courses are job-related is more ambiguous, and tuition reimbursement policies vary widely. In some legal environments, tuition aid is defined as additional income and is treated as taxable.

Despite the widespread availability of tuition aid plans, only about 5 percent of employees use tuition aid benefits each year. If you want to be one of the savvy employees who take advantage of this benefit, inquire at your human resources department to see whether your employer has a tuition aid program. If so, gather some basic information about what it pays and under what conditions.

Corporate-Sponsored Education and Training
Many corporations invest in their people--they offer formal, company-sponsored education and instruction, provide on-the-job training, or partner with higher education institutions to offer specific programs. All of these ventures help create an environment that fosters learning, the key to productivity gains in the new economy. Increased knowledge and skills among employees can pay off in the long run for employers. A quick look at the website, materials, and journal published by the American Society of Training and Development highlights this link. The ASTD emphasizes linking training to job performance, and terms such as "knowledge management" are gaining favor over formerly accepted terms such as "information systems." Think about the difference in images. Information is just data; knowledge opens new vistas-for employees and employers alike.

This article was excerpted from Complete Book of Distance Learning Schools by Dr. Jerry Ice and Dr. Paul Edelson