UC Clermont's tuition reimbursement benefits both companies, employees

Dave Seibert headed straight to work after high school, climbing the ladder in retail while he got married and started a family. At night, he earned his associate degree in business management from UC Clermont College. Then his employer, electronics retailer Circuit City, closed its doors in 2009.

"“My career was always front seat to school,"” Seibert said. "“I realized at that point, though, that education is very important for career diversification.”"

Seibert landed a new career at American Modern Insurance Group and found that the company offered employees tuition reimbursement as a benefit. So he returned to UC Clermont, this time as one of the first students to enroll in the college'’s Bachelor of Technical and Applied Studies program. His employer covered everything from class fees to textbooks. Since he graduated with his bachelor’'s degree in 2015, the degree has helped provide Seibert with a credential and skills that set him apart and grow in the workplace.

“"My degrees give me confidence in my ability to market myself in my career,"” Seibert said. "“And if your employer offers tuition reimbursement, it’s like a 401k -- you need to maximize the contribution."”

Seibert’'s experience speaks to the myriad and well-documented benefits of tuition reimbursement for both employees and employers. According to a study conducted by the Lumina Foundation and Accenture, the health insurer Cigna found that every dollar invested in tuition assistance was earned back -- in addition to another $1.29 in savings on recruitment and training costs. Employees who took advantage of the program were also more likely to be promoted, stay and transfer within the company, and see an increase in earnings over a three-year period.

Jeff Bauer, dean of UC Clermont, said that Cigna’s results are not unique: Across the board, offering tuition reimbursement as a benefit is not only a strong recruiting tool for companies, but also leads to higher employee retention, higher job satisfaction, better quality work and higher productivity. A better educated workforce can even lead to lower health-care costs for employers.

“"Tuition assistance also helps create a culture of life-long learning and innovation, leading to trick-down benefits to other employees who interact with those who are furthering their education,"” Bauer said. “"UC Clermont has a history of working with local employers to establish tuition reimbursement programs, including our relationship with American Modern."”

UC Clermont also offers fully online programs and e-books, Bauer said, creating flexibility for busy employees/students who might find coming to campus for classes a challenge. The college'’s tuition is affordable, too, nearly half that of most other Ohio colleges and universities.

"“A degree is essentially a pre-requisite to many opportunities. That'’s the reality today,"” Seibert said. “"Without an education, you’'re really limiting yourself."”

For more information on UC Clermont'’s program offerings or on developing a tuition reimbursement for employees, contact Monika Royal-Fischer, director of Career Services, at 513-732-5277 or monika.royal-fischer@uc.edu.