Can Chipotle Help You Pay Back Student Loans
Is it possible to go to college for only $250 a year? It is if you work for Chipotle. Even better: That benefit is available for both part-time and full-time staffers. You may be surprised to learn that Chipotle has one of the most-generous tuition reimbursement programs in the country right now for people who would like to earn their degree. The program allows benefits-eligible workers to earn their bachelor's or master's degree, their GED, or to study English as a second language. And get this: Some benefits are even open to staffers' family members. Let's dig into the details. People are often surprised to find out that so many companies offer tuition reimbursement. In fact, the Society of Human Resources Management estimates that about 54% of employers offer the benefit. But there are three good reasons why companies do this: Interested in Chipotle's program? Here's what you need to know. With about 2,500 locations, there's a good bet there's a Chipotle somewhere near you. The easiest way to search for job openings is to look at Chipotle's online job portal. There, you can search for jobs by location (including town or state), type of work (including a variety of store or professional positions), or keyword. Keep in mind that tuition reimbursement is available to everyone who works at Chipotle, whether your position is a line cook or an accountant. If you don't see what you're looking for right away, sign up for job alert email updates so you can get a leg up on the competition. Also, if you have a LinkedIn profile, you can connect it to Chipotle and get matched up with relevant jobs. All of this can be done through the online job portal. In general, Chipotle employees become benefits-eligible after 30 days of employment. However, tuition reimbursement takes a little bit longer to kick in. You'll need to work at least 15 hours per week for a period of four months. Chipotle has partnered with a company called Guild Education to create the Cultivate Me education plan. Guild is company that works with non-profit schools to provide college assistance as an employee benefit. Through the Cultivate Me Plan at Chipotle, qualified workers can: Chipotle will reimburse workers up to $5,250 annually. Staffers may also qualify for federal aid through the FAFSA (max amount is$5,815). Between these two benefits, the restaurant chain states that workers can complete a degree for as little as $250 per year. See our Step-by-Step Guide for Completing the FAFSA. Employees can also earn college credits for on-the-job experience, receiving up to 44 college credits. That's worth about $15,400—just for showing up for work. Not too shabby. Could this program get any better? Believe it or not, yes. Chipotle has recently expanded its program to allow staffers to attend any accredited school or program, not just those affiliated with Guild Education. This a new feature of the program—prior to this spring, students could only get reimbursed for online study at a select number of schools. But now, the field is wide open. That means that your college or trade school will paid for, whether your dream is to remain in the restaurant industry or not. This is an excellent perk, as many companies have limitations on what workers are allowed to study. Psst ... if you're already in college, why not use the Chipotle job portal link above and see how many Chipotle stores are near your college campus? If you'd like to go to school online, keep in mind that it's a great way to help maintain the balance between work, life, and school—especially if you're working full-time and/or you have caretaking responsibilities that impact into your schedule. You can pick your preferred online school, or select one of Guild's online partner schools, including: See also: 8 Reasons Why Online Education is Better than Traditional Get this: Chipotle has just extended education benefits to some family members of employees as well. GED certificates and English as a second language programs are now available to employees' families, including parents, spouses, siblings, domestic partners, and dependents. Since Chipotle is investing in its employees, it has a vested interest in ensuring that people succeed. The company also provides personal success coaches, who can help secure financial aid, choose classes, or deal with any education-related issues. Beyond the extremely-generous tuition-assistance program, Chipotle has one of the most-robust benefits packages in the restaurant industry. Hourly and salaried workers may be eligible for: Want to find other ways to reduce your college costs? Check out Here's the Secret to Getting a Cheap Bachelor's Degree Online. Get Free Information For Your Degree
1. Get hired at Chipotle
2. Become benefits-eligible
3. Check out the Chipotle "Cultivate Me" Plan
4. Pick your program of study
5. Invite your family to study, too
6. Utilize additional resources
7. Enjoy other benefits
What's next?
About the Author
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Trish Sammer is Nitro's managing editor. Her work has appeared in Woman's Day, Redbook, Huffington Post, TechCrunch, and Forbes. She has also written for various corporate clients, including the tech giant SAP, The Franklin Institute, and PSE&G. When Trish isn't busy acting as a writing ninja for other people, you can find her … well, writing about other stuff, like divorce and blended family life. She lives outside of Philadelphia with her husband, their combined brood, and the world's laziest dog. Read more by Trish Sammer
Can Chipotle Help You Pay Back Student Loans
Source: https://www.nitrocollege.com/blog/online-college/tuition-reimbursement-chipotle