Amazon's Career Choice program is a game-changer for many employees. It provides up to 95% tuition reimbursement for courses that have a direct connection to in-demand fields.
This program is designed to help employees gain new skills and advance their careers. By covering most of the tuition costs, Amazon is essentially paying for college.
Amazon's Career Choice program is available to all employees, regardless of their job title or length of service.
Eligibility and Requirements
To be eligible for the Career Choice program, you must have been an Amazon employee for at least 90 days.
Seasonal workers are not qualified, so if you're hired for a limited-time position, you won't be eligible.
Amazon has relaxed its requirements, dropping the previous need for employees to maintain blue badge status for a year.
The Career Choice program is available to employees of Amazon's subsidiary corporations and sections, including those working in hourly non-exempt roles.
This includes employees of Amazon Fresh Stores, Amazon Books, Amazon 4-star, and other retail and eligible subsidiary associates.
Approved Fields
Amazon has a list of approved fields of study that employees can use their tuition funding for. These fields are chosen because they are high-paying or in-demand.
The approved fields of study include Administration and business services, Transportation, Healthcare, Mechanical and skilled trades, and Information technology.
On January 1, 2022, Amazon added several new approved fields and degree types, including High school completion/GED, English as a Second Language (ESL), and Bachelor’s degrees.
Here are the approved fields of study in a concise list:
- Administration and business services
- Transportation
- Healthcare
- Mechanical and skilled trades
- Information technology
- High school completion/GED
- English as a Second Language (ESL)
- Bachelor’s degrees
Amazon Covers Full Tuition for Front-Line Employees
Amazon's education benefit covers up to $5,250 a year for employees.
The company's Career Choice program extends to high school diplomas, GEDs, and English as a Second Language (ESL) proficiency certifications as well.
Front-line Amazon employees can get the full cost of their college tuition covered as soon as 90 days from their start date.
All 750,000 U.S. hourly employees are eligible to participate in Career Choice 90 days after starting at Amazon.
This makes all 400,000 employees who joined the company since the start of the pandemic eligible to access Amazon-funded education opportunities.
Amazon is pre-paying the costs, rather than reimbursing employees after they paid for their tuition and fees themselves.
The company is investing $1.2 billion in this program by 2025.
Amazon's move is similar to its competitors, Walmart and Target, who also offer fully paid tuition benefits for their employees.
The education benefits are one way major employers are trying to keep their workers and attract more employees.
Businesses across the country have struggled to fill open positions since the pandemic lockdowns were lifted.
The U.S. economy has recovered nearly 17 million jobs of the over 22 million jobs lost during the pandemic.
Amazon Tuition Reimbursement FAQs
Amazon's Career Choice program covers the full cost of college tuition, books, and fees for eligible employees.
Over 750,000 Amazon employees are eligible for this funding, which includes high school diplomas, GEDs, and English as a Second Language (ESL) proficiency certifications.
The company is investing $1.2 billion in this program by 2025.
Amazon is now pre-paying tuition costs, rather than reimbursing employees after they pay themselves.
Eligible employees can get funding for as long as they remain Amazon workers.
All 750,000 U.S. hourly employees are eligible to participate in Career Choice 90 days after starting at Amazon.
This makes all 400,000 employees who joined the company since the start of the pandemic eligible to access Amazon-funded education opportunities.
The program is one way Amazon is trying to keep workers and attract new ones, as the U.S. economy has struggled to fill job openings after the pandemic.
Key Information
If you're a blue badge Amazon employee with at least 90 days of experience, you may be eligible for Amazon Career Choice.
Amazon Career Choice supports a variety of educational programs, including English as a second language (ESL), GED programs, and bachelor degrees.
Before signing up for any educational programs or specific majors, make sure to check that they will be covered by Amazon by talking to a superior or someone involved with the program.
If Amazon isn't the ideal workplace for you, consider other companies like Apple, McDonald's, and FedEx, which also offer tuition reimbursement programs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will Amazon pay me for training?
Amazon offers a prepaid education and skills training program, Career Choice, to support your career development. This program is in addition to competitive hourly pay and comprehensive benefits
Sources
- https://www.waketech.edu/amazoncareerchoice
- https://scholarships360.org/financial-aid/career-choice/
- https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/09/business/amazon-college-tuition-benefit-jobs/index.html
- https://qz.com/2057680/will-amazon-pay-full-college-tuition-for-us-employees
- https://www.kron4.com/news/business/amazon-to-cover-full-college-tuition-for-front-line-employees/
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