Taking a bigger step towards supporting their workers’ education, Walmart will reportedly cover college tuition and textbook costs for employees based in the United States, CNN reported, with specific schools partnering with the retailer.
The mega-retailer will also reportedly end their $1 a day program, which has allowed workers to pursue their education and featured nearly 30,000 employees.
According to Fox Business, Walmart will be investing $1 billion to pay for the tuition and textbook fees.
Our Live Better U program just got better. We’re proud to announce we’ll now pay 100% of college tuition and books for our associates seeking additional education, a planned investment of nearly $1 billion over the next five years. https://t.co/a4GTT9dTmu pic.twitter.com/wxx3xCmWg0
— Walmart Inc. (@WalmartInc) July 27, 2021
Lorraine Stomski, senior vice president of learning and leadership at Walmart, said in an online statement about the recent announcement, “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.”
“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.”
Walmart, which owns Sam’s Club, is a part of a growing list of companies that have sought to aid their employees in pursuing higher education, including Starbucks, UPS and others.
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Universities partnering with Walmart for its new initiative include Johnson & Wales University, Southern New Hampshire University, the University of Denver, the University of Arizona and more.
Dr. Jeremy Haefner of the University of Denver said in a statement about the partnership, “The University of Denver is passionately committed to working adult learners. Through this partnership with Walmart and Guild Education, approximately 1.5 million associates will now have access to DU’s programs, completely funded by their employer,”
Fox Business reported that the $1 a day program would end on August 16.
