Walmart: Lifelong Learning Program

[From Philanthropy News Digest] Walmart has announced a three-year, $50 million commitment to a program that will provide tuition assistance and other resources to help U.S. employees prepare for college-level work and complete their degrees.

Through a new partnership with American Public University, an accredited, online university, Walmart's Lifelong Learning Program will enable Walmart and Sam's Club employees to receive up to 45 percent of the credit required for an associate's or bachelor's degree at APU based on what they've learned in their career at Walmart, putting them on a faster track to earning a college degree and making the overall cost of that degree more affordable. Participants in the program also will receive a grant from APU equal to a 15 percent tuition reduction and will be eligible for grants to cover the cost of text books and related class materials. Employees will be able to earn credit in degree programs such as management, transportation and logistics, and security management, while APU plans to offer new concentrations in retail management and other related disciplines.

According to a recent Walmart survey of 32,000 employees, 72 percent said they preferred an online university over other options.