Several of Philadelphia’s largest employers are helping workers pursue college degrees without quitting their jobs, offering tuition reimbursement and flexible schedules that local employees say have changed their careers.
More than 40 percent of employers nationally offer some form of tuition assistance, according to Alex Alonso, chief knowledge officer at SHRM, a human resources association. That number has dipped in recent years, but major local institutions including Jefferson Health, the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Comcast and Aramark still provide the benefit.
How much employers cover
Most commonly, Alonso said, employers offer up to $5,250 per employee per year. That is the maximum they can provide toward education costs without the employee paying taxes on it. Federal tax incentives have encouraged employers to offer the benefit, which also helps companies compete for good hires.
Workers are often required to show their coursework is related to their job or career. Comcast offers tuition reimbursement and works with Drexel University to shape several master’s programs for tech workers. Aramark covers up to the full cost of tuition for eligible hourly employees and provides tuition assistance for salaried workers. Philadelphia’s city employees get tuition discounts at more than a dozen local colleges.
The majority of Philadelphia’s workforce has not graduated from college, though tens of thousands of residents have taken college classes without earning a degree.
“The college degree is not the only way to get to economic success, … [but] there is a connection between your ability to have stronger credentials and your ability to move economically.”
That was Sean Vereen, president and CEO of nonprofit Heights Philadelphia, which connects young people with education and career opportunities.
Two workers, two paths to a degree
Ashley Boudreaux, 37, an operations manager at Jefferson Health’s Philadelphia and Montgomery County sites, pursued her undergraduate degree in health administration through the University of Phoenix while working full time. She graduated in 2023 and is on track to earn her master’s in business in November, with financial support from Jefferson.
“Slow progress is still progress. A lot of times, when we start off on a journey, we see the entire staircase, but not realizing that it takes one step at a time to get to the top.”
Boudreaux said she hopes to eventually reach the C-suite and run a hospital.
Nicole Henderson, 38, took a different route. College was not an option after high school because her family could not afford it. Years later, she started a bachelor’s in accounting while working at a trading firm but stopped after one semester when her employer would not cover tuition.
Five years ago she landed a role at CHOP that did not require a bachelor’s degree. CHOP reimburses a portion of tuition and has a student loan repayment program. Henderson also received a $5,000 scholarship from the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia, which annually awards the money to undergraduate women working at member organizations. Boudreaux was also a recipient.
Henderson earned her bachelor’s in business from Temple University in December and walked across the stage at graduation in May. She then negotiated a promotion from executive associate to project manager, with a raise.
Barriers that remain for worker-students
Balancing a full-time job and coursework is grueling. Henderson said she slept through entire Saturdays because her brain was overloaded.
Phil Brooks, a vice president at nonprofit Graduate Philadelphia, said other hurdles include transportation for in-person programs, access to a computer and reliable internet, and money owed to a previous school that can block students from transferring or finishing a degree. Graduate Philadelphia sometimes helps students negotiate those balances down.
Sometimes earning additional credentials, including short-term microcredentials, is a prerequisite for a promotion, Brooks said.