Employer-paid Tuition Advancement for Low-income Workers

While many employers offer tuition reimbursement, few lower-income employees can afford to pay that cost up front and wait to get the money back. Also, most reimbursement programs cover only study toward a Bachelor’s degree or higher, again leaving out lower-income workers who typically seek out a certificate program to gain more rapid advancement.

The “tuition advancement” program at Children’s Hospital Boston is different: it prepays college tuition for low-income, entry-level workers seeking credentials within a defined set of high-growth, high-demand jobs. Employer-paid Tuition Advancement, a brief from the National Fund for Workforce Solutions, explains how the program advances frontline workers and helps the hospital develop a smarter, more stable workforce. The program is part of the hospital’s participation in SkillWorks, the Boston-area regional funding collaborative supported by the National Fund.