You’ve decided to earn a degree online. You’re excited, but will your boss be? On one hand, the company you work for will benefit from your new-found knowledge. However, you might worry that your online education pursuits could be seen as an endeavor that will get in the way of your work. Convincing your boss to support your online learning doesn’t have to be difficult—especially if you choose a good college with a strong reputation, like Walden University. Here is some simple advice to follow:
Explain That You Can Keep Working Full Time
Whether you’re planning to earn a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree, you’ll find that the best online colleges and universities are designed for working adults. Assure your boss and other supervisors that you’ve chosen to focus your college search on online universities because they offer a convenient learning platform designed for people with a full-time job.
First of all, online universities allow you to earn a degree from home or from anywhere else you have internet access. That means you’ll be able to be complete your coursework during your off hours. Secondly, online degree programs don’t require you to attend classes at set times. Instead, class times are flexible, giving you the power to choose when in the day you attend class. You’ll learn on your own time, not on your employer’s time.
Offer Assurances You Can Remain Available for Overtime and Business Trips
It’s one thing to be available for your usual shift, it’s another thing to be available outside of regular business hours. If this is a concern for your employer, once again assure your boss and other supervisors that your list of colleges to attend only includes reputable online universities like Walden because you plan to continue being available for anything your employer needs. Online learning’s flexible class schedules make this possible.
Explain How Your Degree Can Help Your Employer
You’re likely earning a degree online from a university with a good reputation in order to help advance your knowledge and skills and thus improve your career. But the knowledge and skills you learn can help your employer, too. Be sure to point out how you’ll be able to apply everything you learn toward helping your employer succeed. You can even go so far as to describe the details of the online degree program you’re planning to enroll in and how that program is designed to make you a better, more productive/innovative/independent employee. What boss wouldn’t want that?
Point Out the Benefits Your Employer Will Enjoy if They Help Out
As many as 61% of U.S. employers provide some form of tuition reimbursement or other form of tuition assistance for their employees’ continuing education.* If this includes your employer, be sure to take advantage. But if your employer has no tuition assistance program, that doesn’t mean you’re out of luck. If you’ve succeeded in exciting your employer about your online education plans, you might also be able to convince them to help you out with your college tuition.
Promote the Quality of Online Education from a Reputable University Like Walden
It’s possible your boss won’t be familiar with online learning or will have concerns about the quality of online universities. If your boss voices such concerns, point out that you’re planning to attend an accredited online university. As with any other accredited university, accredited online colleges meet rigorous standards for education. Because of this, an online bachelor’s degree or an online graduate degree can be just as valuable as a degree from a brick-and-mortar university. Simply put, good colleges are good colleges, whether they offer campus-based degrees or degrees online. By choosing to earn your degree from Walden, your employer can rest assured that the degree he or she is supporting also has a good reputation.
First, remind your employer that college scholarships and financial aid for colleges—like federal student aid programs—rarely cover 100% of costs. If your employer is excited about you learning new skills, their assistance can help make that possible.
If that doesn’t convince them, tell them that a recent study of Cigna Corporation found that, for every dollar the company put into its education reimbursement program, the company gained $1.29 in savings, which is a 129% return-on-investment. On top of that, thanks to U.S. tax codes, any business that provides tuition assistance can write-off up to $5,250 in tuition expenses per employee, per year.†
Earning an online degree from a reputable college such as Walden University can be one of the best decisions you make for your career. It can also be great for your employer. Explaining why can help ensure you get the support you need.
Walden University is an accredited institution offering bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree programs online. Expand your career options and earn your degree in a convenient, flexible format that fits your busy life.
*M. Zinshteyn, Picking Up College Tabs, The Atlantic, on the internet at www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/10/more-companies-are-picking-up-college-tabs/433179.
†Lumina Foundation, Talent Investments Pay Off, on the internet as a PDF at www.luminafoundation.org/files/resources/talent-investments-pay-off-cigna-full.pdf.
Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, www.hlcommission.org.