2010
Getting smarter about employee tuition assistance
Tuition assistance is a good thing. However, too often it is viewed as a benefit only to employees, rather than as an investment that drives business results. It can – and should – be both.
One of the really important attributes of investing in employee education is that it has the potential for being a true “win-win,” making both employees and employers better off. But when tuition reimbursement is treated as a “benefit,” it becomes an expense. And expenses have to be carefully controlled. An opportunity is lost and HR is once again in the position of trying to justify itself and its programs.
There can be real advantage to rethinking how tuition assistance budgets are spent, and reframing them explicitly as programs that can benefit the employee and the employer.
Bellevue University is an industry leader on this front and is worth a serious look. (In the spirit of full disclosure, I should note that McBassi is partnering with Bellevue on a joint project. We’ve chosen to work with them because of their leadership in this area, as we’re always looking for opportunities to foster win-wins.)
Bellevue is an important innovator in its thinking, methodologies, and experience in overhauling tuition assistance programs and demonstrating return on investment for the employer.
Tagged Bellevue, tuition assistance