Walmart to Cover Employees’ Tuition and Book Fees

• Walmart will be covering 100% of tuition and book fees for employees who wish to continue their education.
• The retail chain will invest $1 billion over the next five years to cover the costs.
• The company stated their hope that it will eliminate barriers to enrollment and encourage employees to further their education and careers.

Walmart announced on Tuesday that it will be covering 100% of the college tuition and book fees for their Walmart and Sam’s Club employees. The retail giant will invest $1 billion over the next five years to cover the cost.

The company’s Live Better U (LBU) program, which launched in June 2018, had previously required employees to pay a $1 a day fee to join. This fee will soon be eliminated on Aug. 16, benefiting its 1.5 million part-time and full-time workers.

Walmart’s senior vice president of learning and leadership Lorraine Stomski told CNN, “We feel that eliminating the dollar-a-day investment removes the financial barriers to enrollment, and it will increase access.”

The LBU program currently has 10 academic partners and has benefited over 52,000 employees. Partnerships include the University of Arizona, the University of Denver, Purdue University, and Wilmington University.

Stomski stated, “We are creating a path of opportunity for our associates to grow their careers at Walmart, so they can continue to build better lives for themselves and their families.”

She continued, “This investment is another way we can support our associates to pursue their passion and purpose while removing the barriers that too often keep adult working learners from obtaining degrees.”

The company hopes that LBU will help employees “take important steps toward creating a long-term career within the Walmart ecosystem.” Participants will be expected to continue working at the company in some capacity.

The retail giant also raised its wages earlier this year after criticisms of its low-wage positions and competition among the nation’s top retailers. They increased their average pay for hourly workers to at least $15.25 an hour.

Source: PEOPLE