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can they change tuition reimburse policy?

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burton

Junior Member
I recently completed a graduate degree that was 100% paid by company. Until now, the policy of the company was to reimburse 100% of tuition with no strings attached. However, the company is changing the tuition reimbursement policy as of Jan. 1 2005 where employees will be required to reimburse the company for tuition if they leave within one year of receiving tuition assistance.

Would this apply to me if I leave within the next year, even though I finished the program before January 1 2005? If I was planning to leave the company in the next few months, should I quit before January 1 2005 to avoid this?

Regards.
 


nohr4u1yr

Member
It's a benefit

Since tuition reimbursement is not a "right" but a benefit the company offers they can change it at anytime. They can put a grandfather clause in the policy but it is totally up to them. I would speak with someone in your HR/Benefits department to see if they are going to implement a grandfather clause.
 

cbg

I'm a Northern Girl
While I do not disagree with nohr's answer, I just want to add one qualifier - the EXACT wording of the original agreement MAY affect how they handle quits subsequent to the new policy.

IF you quit in calendar 2005 AND IF they attempt to have you pay back the tuition reimbursement, you might want to consider showing the original agreement to a local attorney. I am by no means saying that they will ask you to pay it back and I am by no means saying that they can't do so. But it can do no harm to see whether or not any wording in the original policy offers you any protection. Tuition reimbursement plans are to a certain extent subject to governmental guidelines so it's not outside the realm of possibility.
 

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