Tuition Reimbursement is a viable option that our company should look at as a means of giving our employees a way to advance their education and their positions in our company. This company was built by people and it is in those people that we should invest in, nurture and show that we are committed to their success not just here but in their life success. Often times companies look outside of their own ranks to hire people with advance degrees or more experience when there should be people here that get promoted so that growth my begin from the entry level as it should like the roots of a tree. Many of our employees are not satisfied in the positions they are in but this is not to say they are not satisfied with the company but they want more from themselves as individuals. Our profits show that we have employees that are committed to us, now it is time that we show that we are committed to them and their future. There are opportunities right now within our organization that our own employees would not qualify for without a degree, most of whom have the experience but are being held back because they do not have the one thing that would make them more hirable. As the company grows and new positions become available our employees would also like the opportunity to grow with the company as well, but in most cases with the rising costs of college it becomes almost impossible to better yourself. In todays job market our employees need all the help they can to compete with those coming from those external candidates seeking employment. The direct effects of tuition reimbursement on turnover have received little attention in hundreds of empirical turnover studies, and two of the main models of turnover in the management literature appear ambiguous on the likely effects on retention of company-financed employee education (Griffith, Hom, & Gaertner, 2000; Hom & Kinicki, 2001; Mitchell & Lee, 2001). In this study, we used insights from a substantial body of human capital research to inform turnover theory and improve our understanding of how general skills development, through tuition reimbursement, is related to voluntary turnover. Six hypotheses were developed and tested using Cox proportional hazards regression on personnel records data from 9,439 salaried employees at a U.S. high-technology manufacturing firm from January 1996 until June 2000. As a centerpiece of its new employability policies, this company greatly enhanced tuition reimbursement benefits to employees in 1996; these benefits included a large, one-time stock bonus for those completing degrees.
This program is a win-win situation for our company because we can increase employee retention without decreasing productivity. The program can be used to pay for degrees that are sought after by our company along with others but the difference here is that these employees our already employed by us. Once the tuition program is implemented it can be monitored for its validity by the Human Resources department who would make sure that all rules and regulations are followed by each prospective student. This is a program that everyone in the company could have access to without any bias or prejudice. We have enjoyed a year of great profitable returns and it is the right thing to do, not to mention increasing our profile as a viable company with a great benefits package. We want to feel like we have a company that has employees that have every available opportunity available to them to be successful. It is great that we are able to make a profit in a rough economy, and with employees trying to better themselves it has been extremely hard due to the astronomical costs involved in attending a college or university. People now are lucky to find jobs and they want stability and with tuition assistance we can help them build that job security and structure associated with having a company that does not look at them as a number but rather as an individual. A study conducted by Spherion reveals that tuition reimbursement programs can double the length of employment. Companies without a program had an average turnover rate of two to three years, while those who offered tuition assistance saw the average employment period lengthen to five or more years. Tuition reimbursement fosters loyalty to the employer and increases overall job satisfaction. In addition to strengthening the retention rate, tuition reimbursement programs allow employers to promote within the company rather than hiring outsiders. When companies are hiring from within it increases worker morale and loyalty. It also decreases the costs of hiring and training new candidates. Training for advancement is particularly beneficial in high-need areas, especially in medical fields like nursing.
The benefits of a tuition reimbursement program are undeniable and there are facts to back them up. There has been study after study that shows the positive effects of a company having a tuition reimbursement program. There are many employees that are looking for employment that look for organizations that have this in their benefit program. Many of the job classifications in the corrections field require a bachelor's degree as a minimum requirement for a position. Because a number of employees entering the department already have an undergraduate degree, the DOC receives numerous requests for educational assistance for those employees seeking graduate and postgraduate degrees. For example, the minimum requirements of the job classification of a probation and parole officer include a bachelor's degree. Therefore, employees like probation and parole officer Brittany Basberg often seek a master's degree to further their education and to achieve further career development. "The tuition assistance program has helped me continue to perform better as a probation and parole officer because it has created the means by which I can continue my education," Basberg said. "The classes that I am currently taking have illuminated areas of the criminal justice system that I knew little about before I started on my degree and this increased knowledge helps me serve my community efficiently."

References:
Benson, G. S., Finegold, D., & Mohrman, S. (2004). YOU PAID FOR THE SKILLS, NOW KEEP THEM: TUITION REIMBURSEMENT AND VOLUNTARY TURNOVER. Academy of Management Journal, 47(3), 315-331. doi:10.2307/20159584
The Effects of Tuition Reimbursement | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/info_8067121_effects-tuition-reimbursement.html#ixzz1b0OlkOLo
Harris, T. (2009). Investing in Employees Through Tuition Reimbursement. Corrections Today, 71(2), 50. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
.