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Ryan Rampersaud
Do you aspire to obtain a bachelor’s, master’s, MBA, or some other advanced degree but are unsure of how to fund this endeavor? Financial constraints can be a very difficult obstacle preventing students from pursuing higher education; however, there are opportunities available to students. Believe it or not, it might be possible to get your employer to pay for your degree!
Companies such as Bayer, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson (to name a few) extend this benefit to their employees. The exact conditions and restrictions will vary between companies, but many companies will offer 100% tuition reimbursement to employees for all coursework relevant to their respective fields. In addition, some companies have generous tuition reimbursement programs and are willing to support your endeavor in any way possible if the new skills/knowledge you acquire prove to be functional to your position within the company.
Take, for example, the case where you choose to go directly into an entry level position after graduating from high school. Some companies, such as Bayer, offer qualified applicants (those with high school diplomas, good grades in science, etc.) vocational training for entry level engineers and chemical engineers. As part of their contract, these employees are also required to pursue a formal degree in chemical engineering or mechanical engineering. In this example, the company asks that their employees pursue an advanced degree. Not all companies will ask that their employees to obtain another degree, but will generally support their employee’s decision to pursue higher education.
Johnson & Johnson has a similar tuition reimbursement program called the F.A.T.E. program. To qualify for this program, employees must be full-time employee and must not be receiving any outside funding for their education. Johnson and Johnson will reimburse their employees for tuition, registration and lab fees; however, they will not cover exam or certification expenses. Boeing, on the other hand, will cover these expenses and will even pay for your books!
Some companies have a minimum grade requirement to qualify for tuition reimbursement. One such company is Johnson & Johnson, which requires undergraduate students to maintain a C in all undergraduate coursework and a B in all graduate coursework. The exact requirement however, will vary between companies.
Generally, companies are willing to invest in their employees’ education in anticipation that their enhanced knowledge will further benefit their company. The exact conditions of the programs vary from company to company, but many are willing to pay for relevant coursework. So, for those of you who wish to pursue higher education but cannot get financial aid and cannot afford to pay the bill alone, check into companies to see what type of tuition reimbursement programs are offered. This way, you can work and get a degree at the same time!
Bayer, http://www.mybayerjob.de/wms/byhr/index.php.
Boeing, http://boeing.com/employment/benefits/index.html#ed.
Johnson & Johnson, http://www.jnj.com/careers/tuition.html.
Merck, http://www.merck.com/careers/employee_development.html.
Pfizer, http://www.pfizer.com/pfizer/subsites/shared/mn_careers_benefits.jsp.
Cover image courtesy click at Morguefile.com, http://www.morguefile.com/archive/?display=75591&.
Companies such as Bayer, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson (to name a few) extend this benefit to their employees. The exact conditions and restrictions will vary between companies, but many companies will offer 100% tuition reimbursement to employees for all coursework relevant to their respective fields. In addition, some companies have generous tuition reimbursement programs and are willing to support your endeavor in any way possible if the new skills/knowledge you acquire prove to be functional to your position within the company.
Take, for example, the case where you choose to go directly into an entry level position after graduating from high school. Some companies, such as Bayer, offer qualified applicants (those with high school diplomas, good grades in science, etc.) vocational training for entry level engineers and chemical engineers. As part of their contract, these employees are also required to pursue a formal degree in chemical engineering or mechanical engineering. In this example, the company asks that their employees pursue an advanced degree. Not all companies will ask that their employees to obtain another degree, but will generally support their employee’s decision to pursue higher education.
Johnson & Johnson has a similar tuition reimbursement program called the F.A.T.E. program. To qualify for this program, employees must be full-time employee and must not be receiving any outside funding for their education. Johnson and Johnson will reimburse their employees for tuition, registration and lab fees; however, they will not cover exam or certification expenses. Boeing, on the other hand, will cover these expenses and will even pay for your books!
Some companies have a minimum grade requirement to qualify for tuition reimbursement. One such company is Johnson & Johnson, which requires undergraduate students to maintain a C in all undergraduate coursework and a B in all graduate coursework. The exact requirement however, will vary between companies.
Generally, companies are willing to invest in their employees’ education in anticipation that their enhanced knowledge will further benefit their company. The exact conditions of the programs vary from company to company, but many are willing to pay for relevant coursework. So, for those of you who wish to pursue higher education but cannot get financial aid and cannot afford to pay the bill alone, check into companies to see what type of tuition reimbursement programs are offered. This way, you can work and get a degree at the same time!
For more information, go to:
Bayer, http://www.mybayerjob.de/wms/byhr/index.php.
Boeing, http://boeing.com/employment/benefits/index.html#ed.
Johnson & Johnson, http://www.jnj.com/careers/tuition.html.
Merck, http://www.merck.com/careers/employee_development.html.
Pfizer, http://www.pfizer.com/pfizer/subsites/shared/mn_careers_benefits.jsp.
Cover image courtesy click at Morguefile.com, http://www.morguefile.com/archive/?display=75591&.