3 Ways to Have Your Job Pay for Graduate School

Picture this: Only 2% of employees with access to tuition assistance programs through their job actually use it (InStride). 

For some people, the decision to go back to graduate school comes down to cost.

Questions you may be asking yourself:

• How will I pay for graduate school? Is graduate school affordable for my current financial situation? What does it cost to apply?

• Will getting another degree result in a better-paying job where I can quickly pay off student loans if I take them? 

• Are there scholarships for graduate school? Do I even qualify for them?

While the answer to these varies depending on your financial situation and the field you are pursuing, the bottom line is that there ARE funding opportunities for graduate school. 

This post explores education benefits offered by 48% of companies to their employees who intend to work while going back to school (SHRM).

In short, many employers want to pay their employees to go back to graduate school. It’s good for business.

3 Common Employer Education Benefits for Graduate School

Here are three paid education benefits that some employers offer* their employees:

1. Tuition assistance 

2. Tuition reimbursement

3. Employer-sponsored scholarships

4. Bonus: Flexible scheduling to accommodate classes and work

* Check in with your human resources department to see if these are available to you.

Tuition Assistance & Tuition Reimbursement

Through the 2025 tax year, companies can cover $5,250 of tuition annually per employee tax-free (PeopleKeep). This is because any amount of tuition benefit under $5,250 is not considered taxable income for the employee.

• QUICK TIP: When talking to human resources about your possible benefits, use the terms education benefits, tuition assistance, and tuition reimbursement. Each company may have a different name for the benefit.

#1 Tuition Assistance

A Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) is an education benefit that directly affects the cost of pursuing a graduate degree for working professionals. This benefit applies to employees pursuing a graduate education while continuing to work. Employers may cover part of your tuition upfront or through reimbursement.

• Did you or a family member serve in the US military? There are a number of benefits available from the GI Bill to Military Tuition Assistance and company scholarship programs (Scholarship America)

#2 Tuition Reimbursement

A Tuition Reimbursement Program (TRP) is an education benefit where current employees pay the cost of their education upfront, and the employer reimburses them for a portion or the entirety of the tuition. This repayment might occur at the end of each year of enrollment, or at the completion of the program. TRPs seem to currently be more common than having tuition paid at the beginning of each semester.

In the future, some companies will move away from reimbursement programs to pre-paid programs, which will open up access to continued education for employees unable to pay tuition costs upfront (Deloitte).

Important Questions to Ask Your Employer About Tuition Benefits

1. How long do I need to work at the company to qualify for tuition benefits?

2. Do I need to reimburse the company for tuition benefits if I leave the company before finishing the degree?

3. Do I need to stay with the company for a certain length of time after I graduate?

• Example: Some employers require employees to stay anywhere from 6 months to 5 years after they finish their degree, otherwise they have to pay back some or all of the the tuition the company covered).

4. Do these benefits cover any program at any university? 

• Note: Some companies may cover tuition for any degree program at any university, others may have partnerships with specific universities, or require that the degree you’re pursuing is directly related to your job or next role in the company.

#3 Employer-Sponsored Scholarships

Company scholarship programs can benefit current employees, and are often available for employee dependents. 

These scholarships may be less searchable on a company’s website as they are viewed differently tax-wise by the IRS than tuition benefits, and possibly listed on an external page.

Instead of being offered directly by the company, these scholarships may be offered by:

• Community foundations in the company’s name

• Foundations managed by the company

• A college or university with the company’s name as the primary donor

• A third-party organization that manages a scholarship program (example: Scholarship America)

BONUS: Flexible Scheduling

Employers who are genuinely invested in retaining employees while they pursue graduate school may work with you to ensure you can balance work and school.

Flexible scheduling could entail a change to your work schedule each semester so you are available for classes if they occur during your normal working hours. 

You could also negotiate to work remotely for all or part of the days you will attend class, in order to reduce the commute and maximize the amount of study time.

• QUICK TIP: If you’d like more time to work on your degree and are ok with a temporary pay cut while in school, ask your human resources department about the minimum amount of time an employee needs to work while qualifying for education benefits. 

• Example: Working 80% might be an option - this could look like working 4 days/32 hours per week instead of 5 days/40 hours.

Interested in Doing More Research on Education and Tuition Benefits? 

Here is a short list of companies that provide them (at the time of posting):

• Deloitte (full tuition reimbursement after 2 years of post-graduation employment!)

• Intel (tuition reimbursement)

• Procter & Gamble (tuition reimbursement)

• Salesforce (tuition reimbursement)

• And many more! (The Washington Post)

• Think outside of the box: Colleges and universities - especially those with graduate degree programs - likely have education and tuition benefits. Their business is education, so it makes sense they want an educated workforce. I completed my doctorate while working full time at a university, here is an example of employee tuition assistance from The Ohio State University. Under this tuition assistance program and for the costs of my specific degree program, my tuition was fully covered each semester - I only paid for a few smaller fees, books, and taxes on any tuition exceeding $5,250 in a calendar year.

Not Ready to Commit to Graduate School Yet?

Enroll as a Graduate Non-Degree Student.

Before applying and committing to a full graduate program, talk to your human resources department to see if the organization would pay for you to take 1-2 graduate-level courses through a tuition assistance or reimbursement program. 

Taking graduate classes before applying and enrolling will give you the opportunity to test out graduate school while working full time. Search for “graduate non-degree” programs at the institutions you’re considering for graduate school. Non-degree programs are simply how the university tracks who is taking courses without pursuing a formal degree. 

One benefit of taking “non-degree” courses in the type of program you want to pursue is that those courses might transfer to count toward your graduation requirements once you are admitted and enrolled in a degree program. It’s a win-win!

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