Earning a College Degree, Without Debt, While Working?
Tuition assistance program helps employees realize their dreams.
Feeling Fortunate
If somebody would have told Levi Sturgeon he’d be able to earn advanced college degrees and designations while working full-time – and not incur debt – he probably wouldn’t have believed it. In his defense, it is pretty incredible.
It’s also 100% true.
Levi’s a State Farm® Human Resources & Development manager in Bloomington, Illinois. After missing out on a job opportunity 10 years ago, he decided to go back to school to develop skills to make him more competitive. Since then, he’s earned a bachelor’s degree, an industry designation and a master’s degree – all while working full-time at State Farm! Today, Levi has a job he loves and an education he never thought he’d have.
One thing he doesn’t have? Student loan debt.
“I consider myself very fortunate to have zero school debt because of the generous tuition assistance program at State Farm,” Levi shared.
Ready to focus
Alyssa Dabney, a claims support specialist in Charlottesville, Virginia, might have found her tuition assistance pretty hard to believe, too, back when she was struggling with the decision to transfer to a four-year school. She just wasn’t sure if she could afford it, but thanks to State Farm, she’s now working toward a bachelor’s degree.
“Now, I can focus on my schoolwork without worrying about how I’m going to pay for it,” Allysa said. “This degree is going to help me learn and refine my skills. In turn, that’ll lead to new opportunities and help me advance my career.”
Greater Convenience. Less Worry.
Providing educational access for all employees is a great benefit. The inclusion of direct billing earlier this year made it even greater. With direct billing, employees can attend courses with little to no out-of-pocket expense. State Farm pays tuition and fees directly on the employee’s behalf. (Employees still have to pay for books, but are reimbursed.) This allows employees to focus on their career and learning, rather than worrying about how to pay for it.
This program is available to employees who attend courses at Lincoln College in Normal, Illinois, and Georgia State University (GSU) in Atlanta. Additional “direct bill” schools will be added.
In addition to tuition assistance, employees in the programs have access to advising assistance to help keep them on track.
About 4-5-percent of State Farm employees participate in the company’s tuition assistance program. In 2020, employees enrolled in more than 6,000 classes with a course completion rate of 98 percent.
Believe it or not, tuition assistance is just one of the ways State Farm makes high quality education accessible to employees. To learn more, check out the Education in the Neighborhood site!
Media Contact
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Ben Slotky PA Communications Specialist |