How to Convince Your Employer About Tuition Reimbursement
Tuition reimbursement is an employee benefit at many companies that offers full or partial payment for qualified educational expenses. Some employers structure their program to pay based on grades, and many require pre-approval before classes begin. Tuition reimbursement often benefits employers as their workers gain knowledge that can be utilized on the job. If your employer does not offer tuition reimbursement, you should provide supporting evidence on how advancing your educational goals can benefit their business.
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Instructions
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Gather your information. Determine the tuition reimbursement policy in competing firms in your industry and in your physical location. Obtain course descriptions for the classes you want to take, costs and recommendations for course of study.
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Prepare a written proposal, or business case. In the first proposal section, describe the current market policies on tuition reimbursement. This section should illustrate the job forces that could cause the company to be uncompetitive in keeping and gaining quality employees. In the second section, present a listing of courses you want to take along with a short description. Tie the courses to your current work responsibilities and show how additional education can help you improve as an employee.
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Submit your proposal to your manager and human resources department. Ask for a formal review of your proposal and request an in-person meeting to discuss. If full reimbursement is not an option, try to negotiate for a partial reimbursement and offer to tie the amount you receive to your grades.
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Consider looking for alternate employment. If your employer will not provide tuition reimbursement, look at alternative jobs that offer a reimbursement policy. By reviewing your options, you can decide if your current employer is the best option for your long-term success.
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Prove your dedication. If your employer agrees to a tuition reimbursement trial, ensure your company will continue reimbursements for future classes through your work dedication. Put forth your best attitude and maintain high productivity. Whenever possible, show how things you are learning in class can be directly applied to your work. If your employer understands the correlation between your studies and greater productivity or ideas that can directly benefit the company, they will be more supportive of your tuition reimbursement requests.
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References
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