- Some companies have a simple pass/fail system. Employees who pass an approved course get tuition assistance in the form of reimbursement, and those who fail a course do not get reimbursed for any part of the course's cost. Often however, tuition assistance programs require that in order to receive the assistance, students receive a certain letter grade or better in the course. This minimum letter grade is often a C.
- However, in other companies, there is a staggered system for receiving tuition assistance. For instance, employees who receive an A in a course may get 100 percent of the course's cost reimbursed, while employees receiving a B in a course they're seeking assistance with receive just 80 percent of the course's cost, and so on. Often, there is no reimbursement for grades below a C-minus.
- Working and taking classes can be very demanding. Some employees simply may not be able to hack it and end up having to withdraw from a course, take an incomplete, or get a failing grade. Companies usually have policies to deal with such situations. Many times, employees getting a withdraw, incomplete or failing grade will receive no tuition reimbursement. If the company has paid for the course up front, the employees may be required to pay back the company for the cost of the course.
- Before enrolling in any course, it's a good idea to talk to a human resources professional at your company to find out the specifics of the company's tuition assistance program. Ask whether assistance is provided upfront or whether it's provided as reimbursement for courses; whether there are any grade requirements and if so, what they are; and whether courses must be approved by the company before you enroll in order to qualify for tuition assistance.
Pass/Fail and Minimum Grade Policies
Staggered Assistance for Different Grades
Fail, Withdraw and Incomplete Policies
Taking Advantage of Tuition Assistance
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