How do I get my employer to pay for my school? That’s a great question. I’ve never met someone who just wants to pay for higher education. Most people want to have their education paid for FREE. However, nothing in this world is FREE because everything has a cost (time, energy, gas, transportation, money, etc.). You didn’t come to read my business essay on the cost of goods in life. You want to answer, “How do I get my employer to pay for school.”
One of the first questions you must answer is, “What’s the benefit.” Now, grab a piece of paper or open up a Word/Google Doc and place these three questions on it. Below right down, 1, 2, 3, and provide three answers to the questions below.
If you get your education paid for by your employer, what’s the benefit?
If my employer grants me funding to pay for education, what’s the benefit for them?
If the institution receives funds dedicated to help pay for my tuition or fees, what’s the benefit?
Why am I asking you to answer these questions? You should be clear on the benefits before you ask or apply for funds from your employer to pay for your education. You must be confident when you ask them to show you the money.
A lack of confidence is one of the quickest ways to receive a “NO” from your employer when you ask them about paying for your education. Pursuing education, especially graduate education, is an exercise of faith and confidence from application to graduation. There are great benefits to having a college degree at any level, but you must showcase to your employer the benefits to them. Below, I will share how to get a “YES” from your employer.
Apply to Graduate School 5-step Process for Employment Educational Assistance.
Do your homework (see what’s available for further professional development or education).
Ask questions about the expectations around receiving educational assistance.
Write down your career and professional goals.
Create your pitch, state how more education benefits your employer and yourself (i.e., ROI), and connect it back to #2.
Rehearse, schedule, provide your pitch, and wait for the final answer.
Talking with HR is a great opportunity to learn more about the support available for employees like you. However, it could also be a place that sets off the alarms when you begin asking questions. Most organizations believe in resource professionals' development.
The truth is that gaining new skills or strengthening existing qualities is essential for career advancement. Organizations understand that skill development doesn’t reach saturation, so ongoing development is needed to remain competitive. Going to HR to discuss professional development first as a topic and then weaving in educational assistance second, is a great approach. Once you have their information, you can go to your supervisor with your pitch.
ARM YOURSELF WITH INFORMATION
This blog post is just the first part of learning how to get your employer to pay for your education. In the next blog post, I will discuss the resources companies use to help pay for employees' education, what educational resources you should be asking for, and some organizations and fields offering great educational assistance.
While this information sounds great, you may need someone to coach you through this process of getting educational assistance and more for going back to school. The Apply to Graduate School Coaching program helps you with funding, writing a personal statement, applying to graduate school, interviewing, and more.
Setup a 15-minute meeting to talk more about your needs bit.ly/A2GSCONTACT
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