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separate topic -- get a job with a respected "Tier 1" employer and LET THEM pay for the advanced degree!) OH-dad brings up an important point here. Virtually everyone I know earned graduate degrees on the company dime. Is that less common today for young grads? (I'm a bit long in the tooth.) Or is it just because I live in NJ, 10 miles from Manhattan, and there are tons of corporate employment opportunities likely to include tuition as a benefit? Anyway, I'm planning to present that to my kids as a great way to pay for grad school.
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<p>Even the concept of getting a degree on the company's dime is changing as now companies are limiting the amount of tuition remission they are willing to spend. I have worked for my major corp for over 20 years. </p>
<p>When I first came the running commentary was if you do nothing else while yo work for _______, have your kids and get your education because they were essentially free. </p>
<p>Oh yes, I went to grad school on the company dime and spared no expense doing it (we had uncapped tuition aid plan ) completing programs at Cornell and NYU. When the annual review came, I did not even care how much my annual raise was because I was getting thousands of dollars worth of free tuition and it cost be $100 out of pocket when my D was born. I know people who got MBA, E-MBAs PhDs who walked out of the door the day after graduation.</p>
<p>Fast forward to today, our tuition aid is capped at $10,000 per year and employees were up in arms because we went from no limit to 10,000. I later found that our company's policy was quite generous when compared to other companies.
At my company, courses and degree programs must be directly related to an employee's present job, or to a reasonable future job (i.e., for which management views the employee as a potential candidate) may be approved for Tuition Aid. Approval for a doctorate degree is restricted to specialized fields of study (e.g., those related to the company's scientific research), which management agrees are required for the employee's advancement in his or her current position or career field, and for which there is reasonable expectation that a position in the company would be available requiring the expertise on completion of the degree. In addition to the normal approvals, the organization's vice president of Human Resources must approve doctorate degree applications.</p>
<p>In return for financial assistance, the expects employees who take advantage of this benefit to make a service commitment following the completion of their program of study. If the employee leaves the company before the completion of the service commitment, repayment terms may apply. If the employee discontinues a program of study prior to completing their degree, the same service commitment applies, starting from the completion of the most recent class. The service commitments are as follows:</p>
<pre><code> MCSE and CNE Certification two years
Associate Degree two years
Bachelors Degree three years
Masters Degree three years
Doctorate Degree five years
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<p>If an employee leaves the company voluntarily or is involuntarily separated for reasons related to performance (including permitted resignation) or for cause (misconduct, policy violation), prorated repayment, based on the service commitment described above, applies. </p>
<p>The Tuition Aid Administrator will calculate the amount owed by the employee, based on the applicable service commitment and the number of months worked since the completion of the last class.</p>
<p>At the time of the exit interview, employees have the option of making full restitution for amounts owed to the company, or requesting a 45-day grace period to enable the employee to secure an appropriate loan. If the employee fails to make restitution within 45 days, the company will engage a third-party collection agency.</p>