Educational assistance benefits are employee benefits that allow workers to participate in educational programs for free or at a reduced cost. These benefits are administered through education assistance programs. Education assistance programs are used by corporations to recruit, retain, and retrain employees and to increase goodwill with former employees and the public.[1] They also serve as a corporate tax break.
Corporations with these programs include Walmart (Live Better U), Target Corporation, Amazon (Career Choice), McDonald's (Archways to Opportunity) and Kroger (Feed Your Future).[2] The US Department of Defense also has a program called DOD Tuition Assistance that provides troops with funds for higher education and the US Department of Veterans Affairs has the Forever GI Bill for eligible servicemembers, veterans, and select family members. Some corporations employ private companies, such as Bright Horizons and Guild Education, to manage tuition payments to specific colleges and other education providers.[3][4] According to Wharton College professor Peter Cappelli, a small percentage of workers use educational assistance benefits, but the programs "do reduce employee turnover and help businesses identify their most productive workers."[5][6]