Walmart To Pay 100% Of College Tuition And Books For Employees

July 28, 2021

Walmart announced on Tuesday that it will pay for 100% of college tuition and books for employees through its Live Better U (LBU) education program.

Previously, employees paid a $1-per-day fee for the LBU program. But starting August 16, that fee will be removed.

This means approximately 1.5 million part-time and full-time Walmart and Sam's Club associates in the U.S. can earn college degrees or learn trade skills without the burden of education debt.

As the largest U.S. private employer, Walmart is committing to invest nearly $1 billion over the next five years in career-driven training and development.

"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," said Lorraine Stomski, senior vice president of learning and leadership at Walmart.

The company is also adding four new academic partners, including Johnson & Wales University, the University of Arizona, the University of Denver and Pathstream. Walmart has existing partnerships with Brandman University, Penn Foster, Purdue University Global, Southern New Hampshire University, Wilmington University and Voxy EnGen.

Since LBU launched in 2018, more than 52,000 employees have participated in the program and 8,000 have graduated.