Employer-Paid Tuition Advancement for Low-Income Workers

The paper presents a “Bridge to College” approach that leads to advancement of low-income workers. The Children’s’ Hospital Boston developed the Nursing Career Lattice program to increase the number and diversity of nurses by addressing barriers to pursuing a nursing career. (Abstractor: Website Staff)

This paper describes the mechanics of tuition advancement process, recruiting and selection, student application and academic supports, outcomes, key program elements, and workforce partnership and replication. “Eighteen months after implementing the tuition advancement program: • 39 students have passed the college placement test. • 63 students are participating in pre-college preparation classes. • 42 students have enrolled in college and are actively taking classes with a 100 percent retention rate in their program of choice. • Only two students have not passed their courses (one course each); they have paid back $1,013” (p. 5).Replicable elements for success include: • “Align the program with the employer’s strategic plans and business strategy” (p. 5). • “Bring in key stakeholders early and build close connections with leadership most likely to be affected by workers’ participation” (p. 5). • “Engage employees in developing a practice that addresses the needs of both employees and employers” (p. 6). • “Build on small successes, models, and pilot programs” (p. 6). • “Maintain parity in benefits offered to all workers” (p. 6). (Abstractor: Author and Website Staff)

• Last Updated:
• Created:
• Resource Publication Date: 2008
• Author(s): Roy Biswas, Radha; Schoch, Karen
• Organizational Author(s): National Fund for Workforce Solutions
• Funding Source: National Fund for Workforce Solutions
• Resource Availability: Publicly available
• Posted by: Wesley Peterson
• Posted in: Workforce System Strategies