Walmart's Plan to Pay For All of its Employees' College Tuition

Walmart will invest roughly $1 billion in career-driven training and development for its employees over the next five years.

The corporation, which is the largest private employer in the United States, announced last week that through its Live Better U (LBU) education initiative, it will pay for all of its employees' college tuition and books.

The $1 per day fee for employees will be eliminated on August 16, making Walmart responsible for all education initiatives.

This means that about 1.5 million part-time, full-time Walmart and Sam's Club employees in the United States will be able to pursue college degrees or develop trade skills without incurring student loan debt.

“We are creating a path of opportunity for our associates to grow their careers at Walmart, so they can continue to build better lives for themselves and their families,” Walmart's senior vice president of education and leadership, Lorraine Stomski, said in a statement. “This investment is another way we can support our associates to pursue their passion and purpose while removing the barriers that too often keep adult working learners from obtaining degrees.”

After meeting with specialists, analyzing previous company-provided education programs, and reviewing the literature on what drives graduation rates among adult working learners, the LBU program was born.

Since the program's inception in 2018, over 52,000 participants have participated, with 8,000 having already graduated. Last summer, about 28,000 associates participated in an LBU program.