Worried About the Cost of College?

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Worried about the cost of college? How does $1 per day sound? We are always on the lookout for opportunities that will help you educate your children… and this one is too good not to share!

Great Opportunity!

Seriously, if my husband did not work for a university where he receives tuition remission, we would be in a tizzy trying to figure out how to help pay for my children’s college tuition. Even still, we are worried about the cost of college. We are not promised tomorrow, so I still worry. Scholarships are the absolute best, and we would be applying for every one we could find. But with this new announcement, I might be encouraging my children to apply for a job at Walmart. Yep, you read that right!

One Dollar a Day

For over two decades, I owned an information technology recruiting firm. One of our biggest clients was Walmart. After placing dozens of employees there (including two vice-presidents in their information technology department), I know how great this company is. But I’ve always heard that store-level employees didn’t necessarily feel that way about Walmart. This may help change that feeling! Walmart associates now have the opportunity to allow Walmart to help them change their entire future!

Walmart just announced a new benefit for Walmart associates in the U.S. that allows them access to affordable, high-quality college prep, associates and bachelor’s degrees in business and supply chain…. and the best part is, it costs only $1 per day! This new associate education benefit is designed to remove barriers to college enrollment and graduation for employees, and to help provide motivated and dedicated employees for Walmart. This new program is another step in the company’s commitment to train and educate workers to advance in the jobs of today – and the future. This is a real win/win for both the company and the employee… and it’s another reason why I love Walmart!

Under the program, all Walmart U.S. and Sam’s Club associates will be able to earn a degree with Walmart subsidizing the cost of higher education beyond financial aid and an associate contribution equivalent to $1 a day. In addition, associates can jump-start earning college credits by completing various paid training programs through Walmart Academies. Hundreds of thousands of associates have already undergone skills training equivalent to more than $210 million in college credits. This will save associates both time and money in completing their degrees.

What Colleges?

Degrees will be offered through the University of Florida, Brandman University, and Bellevue University. These schools are all nonprofit schools and were selected for their focus on serving working adult learners. Not only do these universities focus on serving working adult learners, but they also provide top outcomes for the working adult demographic. Walmart will be collaborating with these universities to tailor curriculum to relevant skills for jobs and advancement across industries for today and in the future. These degrees are primarily online, but there will be options for students to participate in on-campus learning if desired. All of these schools have physical campuses.

Walmart’s Partner

Walmart partnered with Guild Education, a leading education benefits platform, to implement this amazing associate benefit. From day one, associates will receive support from a Guild Education coach on everything from the application and enrollment process to selecting the appropriate degree. This kind of academic counseling has been shown to help students complete their degrees. Rachel Carlson, chief executive officer and co-founder of Guild Education, is thrilled with the partnership, saying:

[mks_pullquote align=”left” width=”800″ size=”18″ bg_color=”#a7e1e2″ txt_color=”#444444″]“Walmart has kicked off what might be the nation’s most scalable approach to creating educational opportunity for America’s workforce, now available to its U.S. associates and their families. Walmart is also leading innovation at the intersection of workforce development and higher education by helping associates earn college credit for their on-the-job training.”[/mks_pullquote]

Other Workforce Development Initiatives

Walmart’s new education program underscores the importance of education in helping associates prepare for the future. College degrees in supply chain management or business are parts of a broader approach to preparing the workforce to succeed today and into the future. Initiatives include:

· Developing a broad suite of offerings across roles and levels to help associates from frontline to executive levels develop job-related skills for advancement.

· Covering the complete cost for associates and eligible family members for earning a high school diploma or GED.

· Offering associates and eligible family members access to tuition discounts, financial aid assistance, and education coaching across Guild’s broader network of more than 80 accredited, nonprofit university partners, including schools such as The Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), Columbia University, and Purdue University. These institutions are made available through EdX.

· Giving access to professional development courses including college prep, leadership training, and ESL.