For new college students, adult students, and others who need to continue their education, one of the biggest barriers to educational success is the high cost of tuition.

	State universities and private colleges have increased tuition over the last decade in order to meet the increasing cost of doing business in the educational field. However, new college students are straight out of high school and don’t have the money to pay for their tuition outright. As well, adult students who attend college on a full time or on a part-time basis have a tough enough time with living costs without adding the cost of tuition. There is no need to fret, however, as there are a variety of avenues for tuition reimbursement. Choosing The Right Program Getting tuition reimbursement and other financial incentives for those who attend college often requires enrolling in the right program. After all, companies won’t offer tuition reimbursement to their employees simply for enrolling in college. Companies need an incentive to send their employees to a university or college, usually an improvement in job-related skills. However, managers and executives who determine whether their employees receive tuition reimbursement or not can often be convinced by several arguments. First, the more education an employee receives, the more versatile they will be in the workplace. A marketing professional that takes additional courses in public speech and copywriting can become a more effective worker day in and day out. The professional who utilizes this line of argument needs to prove that the courses they are taking can be applied directly to the workplace on a regular basis. By going to the course schedule of a local college or university, employees can pull up course descriptions and other facts about the class that can help make the case for reimbursement. Second, for many employees, receiving certain types of university training can make them safer workers. In manufacturing and industrial environments, the use of college safety programs through mechanical engineering, construction, and other areas of study can be invaluable to workplace efficiency. College safety programs are intertwined with skills and management courses to give the attending student a complete picture of the workplace. Employers can easily be convinced that by attending safety courses on college campuses, they will be saving money down the road in health costs and lost man hours. Tuition Reimbursement Through Work Once the tuition reimbursement has been approved by the employers, workers need to look at how much reimbursement they are receiving. Some employers will pay the entire tuition bill for their workers, if they are taking a course related to their positions. Others will provide a certain percentage of tuition costs for a wider variety of courses that are indirectly applicable to the workplace. However, employees need to look at other costs besides tuition in their decision to go back to school. In addition to the tuition cost, there are student fees, parking passes, course books, and other materials that can add up. Sometimes, employers will help defray costs beyond tuition, though these expenses are often much less than the cost of attending classes. Consulting with human resources professionals at the employing company can give more specifics on tuition reimbursement policies. Consulting With University Tuition Experts After receiving the acceptance of tuition reimbursement, workers need to go ahead and speak with someone at the university or college’s financial aid office. Financial aid professionals are well versed in school policy on how tuition reimbursement is applied to an individual student’s account. Sometimes the tuition reimbursement is given to the student in the form of an aid check, like scholarships, which is then signed over to the university to pay off tuition. Other times, the tuition reimbursement is sent directly from the company to the school to ensure safe delivery to the college or university. Some great examples of tuition reimbursement on college campuses are Cal Tech, available at http://hr.caltech.edu/Education/tuition_reimbursement.htm, and the University of Virginia, available at http://www.hrs.virginia.edu/index.html. These sites provide great information on tuition reimbursement, school policies, and how employers can connect with financial aid personnel. The main consideration for students is to ensure that their reimbursement transaction is done in a safe and effective manner. Maintaining Tuition Reimbursement Throughout School Receiving initial tuition reimbursement may be easy, considering the need of employers to have highly skilled employees. However, staying in school while working full time often requires an annual review of an employee’s educational path and its application to the workplace. Before heading into a meeting with a manager or other decision-making individual at work, employees should put together their best case for maintaining tuition reimbursement. While college safety courses are not directly applied to the work environment on a daily basis, having these skills in case of an emergency is vital to workplace efficiency. As well, continued professional development through college courses will give employers more skilled, competitive, and knowledgeable employees.