giramomma
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Post by giramomma on Oct 25, 2016 14:20:26 GMT -5
I need to start the process for applying for a Master's Degree that's actually related to the field I work in.
I need my dept head to give me a recommendation. While I'm there, I'm not sure if I should talk about Tuition Assistance. My department is very supportive about continuing ed, though we had financially poor year the last year. So, not sure if funds are available.
We also have no formal policy that if you receive tuition assistance, you have to stay at your job X years or pay the company back.
I'm not sure I want to stay in my department until I retire. Right now, the things I value..workplace flexibility and all that..are more important than the interpersonal crap I'm seeing. Eventually, though, I won't need all the flexibility, and I can see there could be a point where I can't tolerate things anymore. I figure I'll have my master's degree right about the time that my needs for flexibility will end. I'll likely end up retiring a decade after I get my degree.
The program I'm looking at has six years to complete 36 credits. I'm only anticipating taking one course a semester, as it's all I can fit in right now.
We have the cash to pay for any part of the program that we can't cash flow. Best case, I can cash flow half of the program from our monthly budget.
During this 6 year period, we're also looking at braces, a new to me car, and replenishing our savings.
This is the only place I've worked in my career.. I can't burn bridges. There are no other legitimate job recommendations to rely on. I think the ship has sailed wrt DH having a career.
So, WWYD? Would you ask for tuition assistance or pay for the degree yourself?
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Wisconsin Beth
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Post by Wisconsin Beth on Oct 25, 2016 14:23:12 GMT -5
I'd ask. But then again, I've used the Tuition Reimbursement policy here before. For us, it's a City Hall budget line item, not a dept. budget line item.
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tcu2003
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Post by tcu2003 on Oct 25, 2016 14:34:17 GMT -5
I would ask. Worst case is they say no.
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Oct 25, 2016 14:38:56 GMT -5
Ask.
At one of my early jobs, I didn't know that they had resources for continuing education until I asked. They had a deal with Northeastern University in that so many employees could take a class each semester on a first come, first serve basis. I think I was able to knock out 9 graduate credits here, that later transferred to another university (where I did have to pay for my tuition OOP).
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NomoreDramaQ1015
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Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Oct 25, 2016 14:40:02 GMT -5
I would ask. Here the PIs are required to set aside $X for continuing education it doesn't matter if we take advantage of the opportunity or not the money has to be allocated for it. So why not take advantage of it and keep your money working for you? Especially if you don't have to continue to work there afterwards. According to my handbook I have to be here at least three years after completion which is why I haven't jumped at the opportunity. Being on grant money means I might not have a job for another 3 years after I complete my degree. I have no idea how it works if my positions is terminated vs I quit/resign.
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Miss Tequila
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Post by Miss Tequila on Oct 25, 2016 14:42:55 GMT -5
I would definitely ask. We have a formal tuition assistance program but you are on the hook for reimbursement for 2 years after the payment is made.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 25, 2016 15:12:35 GMT -5
Ask, it was an awesome benefit that my first employer that they paid for my MBA in full. I left pretty much two years after I got it which was their requirement.
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debthaven
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Post by debthaven on Oct 25, 2016 16:37:18 GMT -5
Why wouldn't you ask? Worst-case scenario, they say no. And even if you don't plan to work there forever, from what I've read on these boards you are required to stay a certain number of years, but not till retirement. ETA: Ouch, six years is a LONG time for a Master's Degree! Could you ask to go down to 80% of FT and try to get through school faster? If the degree would allow you to earn more money once you get it, it could be worth it.
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Tiny
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Post by Tiny on Oct 25, 2016 16:46:19 GMT -5
I would ask for tuition reimbursement. The worst they can say is no. Even if it wasn't full reimbursement - an $$ you can get are a benefit. Also, just because they say "no" or 'yes' now doesn't mean they will say the same thing in the future. Keep asking for it.
I've never gotten 100% reimbursement - it's always been 50 to 80% sometimes it was a 'flat amount' sometimes it was based on the grade I received.
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giramomma
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Post by giramomma on Oct 25, 2016 18:40:40 GMT -5
ETA: Ouch, six years is a LONG time for a Master's Degree! Could you ask to go down to 80% of FT and try to get through school faster? If the degree would allow you to earn more money once you get it, it could be worth it. I know it's long. I can't do 6 credits a semester, including summer, for two years. For both financial and life balance reasons. There just isn't enough time in the day. My degree will likely not translate into higher earnings, unless I find a new job and negotiate a higher starting salary. What it will give me, though, is open doors to be find new employment should I ever need to. I have not had any (formal) training in my field. I've been here for 15 years, now. I'm either self-taught or go by gut instinct. That really isn't sustainable, for a long term career. There are big gaps in my background. I know myself well enough that I'm not going to email random professors for readings lists and then find these resources and read them on my own. I don't really learn very well by just reading, either. I need assessments to reinforce my learning.
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taz157
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Post by taz157 on Oct 25, 2016 19:52:52 GMT -5
Ask, the worse that happens is they say no.
One of the places I worked at paid (after the fact) for me to get the remaining accounting classes I needed to get my CPA license in that state. I think I had to stay for 1 year afterwards to not pay it back. I ended up staying 4 years before I left due to relocating for DH's job.
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Rukh O'Rorke
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Post by Rukh O'Rorke on Oct 25, 2016 21:05:19 GMT -5
is there no formal tuition reimbursement program? I had to apply/get approved for ours.
Another option is to ask for some professional development money - but in that case, you may need to re-request for each expenditure, and they may pick and choose which courses are "applicable" or not.
One place I worked, each position had a set amount for professional development. Most went to conferences, travel, hotel, week away from office etc. I couldn't do optional travel as I was a single mother. I spent my whole bit each year taking SAS courses at SAS institute. Professional development money was pretty flexible. Just needed mger approval.
SAS programming skills served me very well, I might add.
Good luck!
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lund
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Post by lund on Oct 26, 2016 3:37:19 GMT -5
I think that you should ask.
If they pay part of it, it is a kind of benefit that might compensate for the not so high pay. If they are supportive, doing it now may be easier than doing it later. And having it might make it easier for you at the next employment crossroads, even if you won't get any benefits from having it where you are now. You will get 6 years older with or without it, and it sounds as if with it is preferable, even more so if they pay part of it.
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Shooby
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Post by Shooby on Oct 26, 2016 6:30:58 GMT -5
ETA: Ouch, six years is a LONG time for a Master's Degree! Could you ask to go down to 80% of FT and try to get through school faster? If the degree would allow you to earn more money once you get it, it could be worth it. I know it's long. I can't do 6 credits a semester, including summer, for two years. For both financial and life balance reasons. There just isn't enough time in the day. My degree will likely not translate into higher earnings, unless I find a new job and negotiate a higher starting salary. What it will give me, though, is open doors to be find new employment should I ever need to. I have not had any (formal) training in my field. I've been here for 15 years, now. I'm either self-taught or go by gut instinct. That really isn't sustainable, for a long term career. There are big gaps in my background. I know myself well enough that I'm not going to email random professors for readings lists and then find these resources and read them on my own. I don't really learn very well by just reading, either. I need assessments to reinforce my learning. What is your plan with the Master's? If it isnt going to increase your earnings, do you think that is worth the time and investment you are going to put into it? Not saying that it doesn't have value to you personally, but I would be realistic about the investment of time and money. And, honestly, there are a lot of employers who don't really value a Master's as much as you might think. It really depends on what field you are in. But, you should certainly ask. You aren't burning any bridges or asking for something unreasonable. If they say no, then they say no. But, they might say yes so it is worth checking in too.
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MJ2.0
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Post by MJ2.0 on Oct 26, 2016 7:31:03 GMT -5
is there no formal tuition reimbursement program? I had to apply/get approved for ours. Another option is to ask for some professional development money - but in that case, you may need to re-request for each expenditure, and they may pick and choose which courses are "applicable" or not. One place I worked, each position had a set amount for professional development. Most went to conferences, travel, hotel, week away from office etc. I couldn't do optional travel as I was a single mother. I spent my whole bit each year taking SAS courses at SAS institute. Professional development money was pretty flexible. Just needed mger approval. SAS programming skills served me very well, I might add. Good luck! Sent you a PM.
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giramomma
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Post by giramomma on Oct 26, 2016 7:40:03 GMT -5
What is your plan with the Master's? If it isnt going to increase your earnings, do you think that is worth the time and investment you are going to put into it? Not saying that it doesn't have value to you personally, but I would be realistic about the investment of time and money. And, honestly, there are a lot of employers who don't really value a Master's as much as you might think. It really depends on what field you are in. But, you should certainly ask. You aren't burning any bridges or asking for something unreasonable. If they say no, then they say no. But, they might say yes so it is worth checking in too. My plan is to be in a position that I can find a job somewhere else if I should need to. Since I'm the only meaningful source of income...I need to make sure 1) have skills and 2) I keep them up. Did you watch Nurse Jackie? When the head of the department tries to find other jobs, and has a ton of experience, but can't land a job because of the degree. I'm afraid that's going to happen to me. At least Akoli (is that how you spell her name) had some education in nursing. I have NO education in my field. I'm assuming that's not all fiction. I've heard that nurses need to keep up their education if they want to find jobs...that minimal education isn't enough anymore. I need a plan to get out. All of the jobs I'm looking at require a master's degree in a field I have no training in. The typical list of job responsibilities includes things that I have never done and have no clue about. I don't know how to do a needs assessment, for example. And I know I could read about it. But, taking a college course with a grade demonstrating my learning is a little more legitimate than me saying "Needs Assessment...I'm all over that. I read about those before bed every night."
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Shooby
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Post by Shooby on Oct 26, 2016 7:46:15 GMT -5
It's always good to get more training, education and credentials for sure. I am just saying that Master's degrees aren't really all that valued in some fields. And, in fact, sometimes an employer would rather not hire the Master's because that would mean they have to pay more. It could overqualify you depending on your field. Again, i dont' know what field you are in or what a Master's means in your field. And, you may even consider getting an MBA on top of your current degree rather than a field specific. Just consider your options, that's all. But, certainly continue your education if that is your desire to do so.
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Rukh O'Rorke
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Post by Rukh O'Rorke on Oct 26, 2016 7:57:33 GMT -5
What is your plan with the Master's? If it isnt going to increase your earnings, do you think that is worth the time and investment you are going to put into it? Not saying that it doesn't have value to you personally, but I would be realistic about the investment of time and money. And, honestly, there are a lot of employers who don't really value a Master's as much as you might think. It really depends on what field you are in. But, you should certainly ask. You aren't burning any bridges or asking for something unreasonable. If they say no, then they say no. But, they might say yes so it is worth checking in too. My plan is to be in a position that I can find a job somewhere else if I should need to. Since I'm the only meaningful source of income...I need to make sure 1) have skills and 2) I keep them up. Did you watch Nurse Jackie? When the head of the department tries to find other jobs, and has a ton of experience, but can't land a job because of the degree. I'm afraid that's going to happen to me. At least Akoli (is that how you spell her name) had some education in nursing. I have NO education in my field. I'm assuming that's not all fiction. I've heard that nurses need to keep up their education if they want to find jobs...that minimal education isn't enough anymore. I need a plan to get out. All of the jobs I'm looking at require a master's degree in a field I have no training in. The typical list of job responsibilities includes things that I have never done and have no clue about. I don't know how to do a needs assessment, for example. And I know I could read about it. But, taking a college course with a grade demonstrating my learning is a little more legitimate than me saying "Needs Assessment...I'm all over that. I read about those before bed every night." This is the situation I was in without the phd. It is really a sucky feeling to be "trapped" and not able to get an interview, let alone another job, doing what you are already doing. There are certainly pros to working your way up. Many of my courses have been a breeze because I have a practical base of knowledge on which to build. However, the amount of time and money it is taking is greatly exceeding expectations, and I'm not sure I would have started it in the first place if I know how long, and how costly it would be. Although I did go into it saying I was going to take the bare minimum of courses and do as minimal a dissertation as I could, but once I got in, I ended up taking every single possible applicable course, and doing a pretty extensive dissertation. HOWEVER! Here is an interesting tidbit for Gira: I only had to get accepted into and start the program, slap that on my resume, and I started getting interviews. I've stopped looking at the moment because I'm basing my research off work data, but if Gira starts the program and gets just a few key classes under her belt, that alone might make the difference in job searches.
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NomoreDramaQ1015
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Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Oct 26, 2016 8:27:03 GMT -5
I don't know what you do Gira but have you looked into whether there are any types of professional certifications that you could get instead of a Master's degree?
I've been going back and forth on my Master's for years because it looks like I am going to need it if I want to stay in place. The issue for me though is the pool is ever shrinking and now I am not only competing with people who have master's but people who have PhD's because there is no where for them to go.
I am not getting my PhD to remain a Research Technologist II. That is ridiculous.
I talked with my former boss a few times about them hiring another professor for hte college of pharmacy. He said the issue they were running into was they were getting a TON of people with generic science PhDs but they simply did not have the training/expertise that the COP wants in its professors and researchers. So they had to narrow down the field even further to someone who had a PharmD or the very least a PhD related to Pharmacuetical Sciences.
He believes and after the endless rounds of interviews I did last year I agree, that professional certification is going to be the new way to weed out candidates since "everyone" is going to have a graduate degree before long.
The benefit of a professional certification is I can still do what I do now BUT I have an entire different field to fall back on.
So that is what I am going to be focusing on for the next four years. I am going to register for immunology and hopefully statistics come November. That leaves me biochemistry. UNMC will pay for all three courses and they benefit my current position so win win.
Once I have those three classes I will be eligible to enroll in the Medical Technologist program thru Methodist.
That will cost me $4500 but only takes 12 weeks. While I can get my master's for free it would be a LONG time before I got it since I have to continue to work a minimum of 32 hours in the lab to keep the benefit. No not impossible but not something I want to invest that much time in just to stay in place and in short order fall behind again.
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giramomma
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Post by giramomma on Oct 26, 2016 8:32:44 GMT -5
BTW. Thank you all. You are right.
My department just shelled out like 4-5K to train three people on my team to be project managers. IMVHO, it was only a legitimate need for one of them. The other two were interested for funsies.
That's about 1/3 the cost of my degree program.
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cael
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Post by cael on Oct 26, 2016 8:42:54 GMT -5
I'd ask. But then again, I've used the Tuition Reimbursement policy here before. For us, it's a City Hall budget line item, not a dept. budget line item. Same here, all I need is my boss to approve it (which he has/will), and it's something like $1000/calendar year so it's helpful, but not a large amount. Doesn't hurt to ask!
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giramomma
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Post by giramomma on Oct 26, 2016 9:04:40 GMT -5
I don't know what you do Gira but have you looked into whether there are any types of professional certifications that you could get instead of a Master's degree? I completed a certificate program a few years ago. I learned nothing. It was stuff I already knew. Which is why I think I need to get the degree. I know enough to know a few things, but not enough to really be effective. The good news is I think the program is very manageable, in terms of time and expense. I think the whole program will run between 12-15K. It's not a big name school, so I'm not paying to have a big name on a diploma. The program is accredited and ranked well enough. I have to do something. My work environment hasn't been good for several years. It's pretty common for me to cry about having to go into work a few times a month. I'm treated like an afterthought on my team, even though I'm one of two that are doing the bulk of revenue generating work. There's only one other person that has a bigger workload than I do. My phone ringing is now considered a nuisance. I've also watched as folks in my area in my department get demoted. It's time.
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MJ2.0
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Post by MJ2.0 on Oct 26, 2016 9:17:07 GMT -5
I'm not totally sure what it is you do.....?
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NomoreDramaQ1015
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Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Oct 26, 2016 9:18:11 GMT -5
I completed a certificate program a few years ago. I learned nothing. It was stuff I already knew
That's not a bad thing depending on the circumstances because having the piece of paper means your knowledge is "official". That's part of my problem I have the knowledge but not the piece of paper. There are too many applicants to go thru my resume step by step to see if I have the knowledge. The piece of paper gives them a quick way to sort thru hundreds of candidates per job posting.
Is there anyone you could talk to in your field about the benefits of getting your masters vs certifications before you commit? Being able to bounce my educational plans off of more experienced people and people who do the hiring has really helped me better formulate a plan.
I'm not saying don't do it but just weigh how much it's going to actually benefit you and what you want. Do you want to just stay in place or eventually move upward/forward?
A master's will benefit me if I want to stay in place, but it's not going to buy me very much time. A certification will allow me to stay in place, move out, move upwards/forwards.
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steph08
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Post by steph08 on Oct 26, 2016 9:23:05 GMT -5
I'm surprised you don't have a formal policy.
At my previous employer, it was a max of $5200/year for tuition reimbursement. I did my master's degree there and stayed almost 5 years after I completed it. I think 1 or 2 years was the requirement. I believe PhDs had to stay 3 years.
I just looked at the employee handbook for my new job - $3k/year for undergrad and $4k/year for graduate programs and if you leave, you have to pay back any reimbursement you received in the last 12 months. 1 year isn't bad.
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giramomma
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Post by giramomma on Oct 26, 2016 9:29:27 GMT -5
I'm not totally sure what it is you do.....? I'm being vague because I don't want to out myself on the internet. But, I work in a support capacity in higher ed.
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raeoflyte
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Post by raeoflyte on Oct 26, 2016 11:41:40 GMT -5
I'm in a very similar boat, although without even a bachelors degree. I'm enrolling in a program to start in Dec.
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travelnut11
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Post by travelnut11 on Oct 26, 2016 12:46:45 GMT -5
Gira, I'm surprised there is no formal university-wide policy? Are you sure? I can't imagine it would be unusual for employees to request tuition reimbursement?
Regardless I would just ask. As everyone said the worst they can say is no.
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giramomma
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Post by giramomma on Oct 26, 2016 13:59:52 GMT -5
Gira, I'm surprised there is no formal university-wide policy? Are you sure? I can't imagine it would be unusual for employees to request tuition reimbursement? There is a program, just found it..But, I don't think anyone has used it. Most everyone (including myself) has used departmental funds.
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Wisconsin Beth
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Post by Wisconsin Beth on Oct 27, 2016 11:08:55 GMT -5
I'd ask. But then again, I've used the Tuition Reimbursement policy here before. For us, it's a City Hall budget line item, not a dept. budget line item. Same here, all I need is my boss to approve it (which he has/will), and it's something like $1000/calendar year so it's helpful, but not a large amount. Doesn't hurt to ask! Yep. Back when I worked for the library and had a union, I asked a union rep if they could add getting that amount upped to the contract negotiations. They were delighted to have something to ask for other than raises and lower health insurance costs. And because so few people actually USE the program then, the City apparently didn't argue and upped it to $1200 per year. I think it's still at $1200 but can be used for certification exams as well as classes.
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