Jobs That Will Help you Pay for College: Starbucks & Beyond!

As any college student or graduate already knows, every little bit helps when it comes to paying your tuition.

That extra help often comes from working jobs that help to pay for room and board as well as tuition. If you are among the many working students trying to reduce your potential student loan burden while getting your education,  a study by SHRM shows 54 percent of potential employers offer up to nearly $4,600 per year in tuition reimbursement programs for working college students.

The following list examines some of the best options for you to earn money and college tuition reimbursement from many popular job providers.

Starbucks Coffee Company

You might enjoy the coffee and hope for an employee discount, but that is not all this famous coffee chain has to offer working college students. Starbucks put into place a College Achievement Plan where any employee can attend Arizona State University Online tuition free.  

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles

Participating Fiat, Dodge, Ram, Jeep and Chrysler dealerships can obtain a no-cost and no-debt college degree through the Degrees Work program offered by Strayer University. The carmaker announced the partnership in May and hope it will help its dealerships attract top talent, improve employee skills and boost employee retention.

Dick’s Drive-In

Seattle-area workers at Dick’s Drive-In locations can qualify for up to $25,000 in scholarships by working full time for at least two months during the summer and working at least 20 hours per week while enrolled in college. Participants earn $3,500 per year for their first two years of college and another $9,000 per year during their final two years, and they can go to the college of their choice.

United Parcel Service (UPS)

UPS offers up to $25,000 toward workers’ college educations when they enroll in the delivery company’s Education Assistance Program and includes prorated assistance when a college student becomes an employee part-way through an existing semester. Workers can earn up to $5,250 per year in tuition assistance with a maximum total of $25,000.

Home Depot

The homeimprovement chain offers an employee Tuition Reimbursement Program for workers who enroll in courses to obtain a degree. Home Depot also has partnered with Bellevue, Capella, Kaplan and Strayer universities and the University of Phoenix to give discounted tuition rates to Home Depot workers. Workers must meet eligibility requirements to qualify for tuition assistance.

Walgreens

Students who want to become pharmacists can gain experience and get their feet in the door of one of the nation’s largest pharmacy chains while also saving money on tuition. Walgreen’s offers up to $2,500 per year in tuition aide for students who have worked at least 1,040 hours and are enrolled in pre-pharmacy courses and accredited pharmacy colleges.

Best Buy

Workers can obtain up to $3,500 per year toward their undergraduate tuition and $5,250 per year toward graduate degrees while working for Best Buy and participating in its Tuition Assistance Program. Best Buy employees also can receive 10 percent tuition discounts through Capella and Devry universities and 5 percent from the University of Phoenix.

Verizon

The mobile communications company offers its employees up to $8,000 per year through its Tuition Reimbursement Program. Workers must be benefits-eligible to qualify for the tuition reimbursement.

With some basic research, you can find a good job with a company offering a significant amount of help with your tuition, reduce or avoid potential student loan debt, and possibly launch a career with that same job provider. 


"Starbucks Coffee Dortmund 024" by Sven2512 at German Wikipedia. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 de via Commons