With the economic situation being as volatile as it is these days, the prospects of going to college or even being able to afford moving away from home are quite grim. How on earth are young people going to be able to afford higher education when things such as the stock market performance have put a huge dent in mom and dad's savings accounts? And what if you are an adult who has to face the financial challenges of the world on your own, how are you supposed to add the cost of tuition onto your already overwhelming responsibilities of just keeping your head above water? These descriptions may sound a bit melodramatic but for many people these situations are all too real. Paying for college may be out of the question. And with so many people worried about losing their jobs, no one wants to ask their employer for more money. But maybe there are some things that you should reconsider when it comes to the possibility of having your employer pay for college.

It may be easier than you think.

Getting your employer to pay for your college education may be easier than you think. You may be surprised to know that in many cases your employer wants you to be able to finish college. In some cases, your college education may be more valuable to your employer than it is to you. Why is this you may ask? Well, when you earn a degree in a field that is related to your job, you are able to perform that job better. When your boss has an employee who is better at performing his or her job that employer makes more money, the business runs more efficiently, and they spend less time giving direction because your education has already prepared you for the job. Another reason employers are anxious to help their employees pay for their education is because employees are more likely to stick with a company and show loyalty to their employer when they are relying on their them to fund their education. Similarly, after graduation that desire to remain loyal to the employer that supported them through school remains intact. Employers often see less turn-around when they provide tuition reimbursement for education. Any employer will tell you that high turn-around rates cost them money. They would much rather invest in helping an employee progress, than in training employee after employee and being no further than when they started. Because employers see value in helping their employees get an education, thousands of companies offer tuition assistance programs. But even if your employer is not among the thousands of companies that already have tuition reimbursement policies in place, there is nothing stopping you from proposing such a program and convincing your employer that when they help you through school they are also helping themselves.

Full time jobs will typically offer more assistance than part time jobs

As you contemplate the possibility of having your employer foot the bill for your college education, realize that full time jobs will typically offer more assistance than part time jobs. This is simply because a full time job offers an employer a more significant return on their tuition reimbursement payout. Full time employees will also have more on-the-job opportunities for education. Many larger companies have the resources to offer tuition reimbursement programs for employees that take courses related to their work. Other larger companies have the resources to create courses and even university type programs within the corporation itself to provide to employees. With great opportunities such as these, there are often greater expectations. For example, companies with the resources to provide a variety of educational opportunities often have strict policies. Some of these policies might include a requirement or agreement that the employee participating in the educational program be required to remain working at the company for at least a year. Obviously, the employer needs to feel like they are getting their money's worth when they invest their time and resources into you.

While it is less likely, some companies have educational programs available for those who are only working part time. It makes sense that these employers are not willing to commit as much time and money for a part time employee. On the other hand, with less help comes less of an obligation to the company. When a company offers a relatively small amount of financial help for school, they generally to not them ask you to commit to a long-term position at the company. However, there are oftentimes requirements that the part time employee must be with the company for a certain amount of time before any tuition assistance is provided. For many young people, the availability of a tuition reimbursement program is motivation enough to work for a company. Thus, even companies offering small tuition incentives benefit from having continued interest by those looking for work.

Approaching the topic of tuition reimbursement

So what should you do if you are already working at a company that does not have a tuition reimbursement program in place and you are interested in getting financial help to go to school? Well, there are a number of different things that you can do to get your company thinking about providing educational opportunities to their employees, and of course most specifically how that assistance is going to benefit you. The bottom line is that if your company does not have a tuition reimbursement program, you will need to convince your employer that they should have a tuition reimbursement program, and this is how you do it:

1. Decide what types of classes you want to take.
2. Create a list of ways that your employer will benefit as a result of you taking these classes. Some examples might include an explanation of how your classes will make you a more productive worker, how your classes can help you to assume more responsibility, how your taking classes might improve your leadership skills or how your classes might make you better able to work with clients.
3. Come up with solutions and answers to potential employer concerns. In other words, try to think of what your employer will say will not work about your plan and come up with your own solutions for why your plan for obtaining higher education is a good idea.
4. Set an appointment and practice. Just as you would set a date and prepare a business presentation, you need to treat your request for assistance in paying for school as a business deal, because in reality, that is what it is.
5. Don't give up. If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Your employer may not currently be in a situation where he can spare the money it will take to get you through school. If now is not a good time to ask your employer for help in paying for college, ask again in a few months. When the idea is presented professionally and with consideration, it never hurts to ask.
6. Be willing to compromise. Any help with paying for school is better than no help at all. When discussing paying for school to try to strike a compromise where both you and your employer feel like they are getting a good deal. While your employer may not be willing to pay for you to attend Harvard, they may be willing to help put you through a community college or an online course.

Choose to work for a company that already offers to pay for college

If schooling is important enough to you to switch jobs to find a company that is willing to help you pay for college, go ahead and do it, but make sure that you do your homework first.  This means that you should know what a company's tuition reimbursement policies are before you sign any paperwork.  Don't be afraid to let potential employers know that getting an education is important to you.  To do this you should have your eye set on the right kind of company.  Find the right company by checking out company Web sites and calling the HR department before applying.  You should also consider the size of the company that you are applying for because this could influence the availability of tuition reimbursement programs.  Larger companies are more likely to provide education benefits, because they have the resources and opportunities for advancement that make having a tuition reimbursement program more logical.  Make sure that you are applying for a position where the employer can benefit from paying for education specific to that position.  In other words, even if the company has an education program, they are not likely to help you improve your nursing skills if you are currently employed as an IT analyst.  Working for a college or university is often a good idea simply because of the range of opportunities that may be available to you. 

What is a tuition reimbursement contract?

Congratulations!  You have found the right job with the right tuition reimbursement program for you.  Now you can work and gain an education at the same time while also getting help to pay your tuition.  You have nothing else to worry about right? Wrong!  Do not forget that you will have to enter into an agreement of some kind in order to benefit from a tuition reimbursement program.  Be sure that you read over the contract that you may be asked to sign that outlines the rules of how, when, and what will be distributed when.  This contract is called a tuition reimbursement contract and will outline such things as when your tuition will be refunded, how much of that tuition will be refunded, whether or not your refund is contingent on a certain grade point average, etc.  Know exactly what you are agreeing to when you accept your employer's money to pay for college.