| Are you a working professional who wants to start or | | | | to college, they will sabotage your study time and you |
| finish a degree? Working professionals have added | | | | will not succeed. Showing your family how the degree |
| time commitments of work responsibilities and family | | | | will help those personal and family goals may help |
| responsibilities which make it difficult to add college to | | | | them see the need for this sacrifice.o You don't want |
| an already busy schedule. | | | | to put the cost of tuition on your credit cards. Not all |
| Most corporations (about 87%) offer some type of | | | | Tuition Assistance Programs reimbursement 100% of |
| Tuition Assistance Program for employees to finish a | | | | the cost of a degree. Most companies average $5000 |
| degree, certificate and group of classes. However, | | | | year. Private school tuition is around $1500 - $2000 |
| only about 7 - 10% of the employees in those | | | | class and you can only take 2 - 3 classes/year with |
| corporations take advantage of that reimbursement | | | | this policy cap. State university tuition is much less |
| benefit. Does your company offer tuition | | | | expensive, and you might be able to stay within your |
| reimbursement for your degree? | | | | company's tuition cap. Instead of credit cards, some |
| Why do you and other working professionals not finish | | | | working professional students take out student loans |
| the degree if the company is paying part or all the | | | | from their credit union or get Financial Aid from the |
| tuition costs? Here are some common reasons why.o | | | | college.o You don't want to take admission tests, such |
| You think it will take too long. However, with all the | | | | as the Graduate Management Admission Test or |
| new options to gain life/work experience credits (using | | | | Graduate Record Exam. Not all graduate programs |
| military courses, licenses, certificates, corporate classes | | | | require an admission test. Some colleges will admit you |
| for credits) and the accelerated formats of many | | | | if you have a high Grade Point Average from your |
| colleges, the total time to complete a degree may be | | | | undergraduate degree. Others will require essays |
| shorter than you think.o You don't have hope your | | | | instead of a test. Others have no admission test |
| former college credits will transfer. Some schools have | | | | requirements at all. |
| cut-off times to transfer old credits. But many of the | | | | No matter why you are hesitating making that first |
| "adult friendly" colleges will transfer in credits, even if | | | | step towards your degree, you need to write down |
| they are 25 -30 years old. If one school requires you | | | | your top reason why you have not started or |
| to "start over", look at other schools.o You are unsure | | | | completed this degree. Then answer the question: |
| of the results of the degree. You may realize that it will | | | | What is different now? How will that roadblock be |
| take several years to complete the degree and you | | | | cleared? Until you know how to overcome your |
| may have money out-of-pocket (if your tuition | | | | roadblocks, you will have difficulties moving forward |
| reimbursement does not cover all the costs). You see | | | | with the first steps. |
| some graduates in your company not getting the | | | | Even though only 7 - 10% of working professionals |
| promotions and advancements and wonder if college | | | | with Tuition Reimbursement use their companies' |
| is worth it. Make sure you attend the schools | | | | benefit, there are still thousands of working |
| recommended by your company and take the major | | | | professionals who are able to take that first step |
| and degree needed for those promotions and | | | | towards a degree. In the end, they can join the 27% of |
| advancements.o Your families are against you | | | | US population with an undergraduate degree or 7% of |
| returning to school. This is a difficult roadblock to | | | | the US population with a graduate degree. Will you be |
| overcome. If you family does not support you returning | | | | among them? |