Amazon is expanding its education aid for frontline staff, a change that could benefit hundreds of thousands of workers. The company has extended greater support for college tuition, classes, textbooks and associated fees for eligible employees.
Amazon employs over 1 million people across the U.S.
Previously offering a $3,000 yearly tuition allowance, the e-commerce behemoth has bumped that figure to $5,250. It’s a substantial benefit ideal for employees who want to pursue part-time studies while continuing to work. However, that amount typically won’t cover the full annual tuition at many of the partner institutions.
The $5,250 level is significant because it matches the federal tax-free tuition reimbursement cap. Any employer aid above that limit is treated as taxable income.
Which Credentials Are Covered?
Amazon will cover college tuition for bachelor’s degrees and also supports high school completion programs, GEDs, and English-as-a-Second-Language certification for qualifying workers — including those employed by the company for as little as three months.
A key advantage of the program is that Amazon pays tuition and fees up front, instead of waiting to reimburse employees later, reducing financial barriers for students. Many corporate tuition programs require employees to pay before classes and seek reimbursement after receiving passing grades; in contrast, Amazon’s approach removes that immediate outlay.
The revamped effort is part of Amazon’s Career Choice program, which began in January 2022.
Below are some participating institutions with in-state and out-of-state tuition figures and 2021 student headcounts. Note that most states require a residency period, often around two years, before a new resident becomes eligible for in-state tuition.
Tuition Costs at a Glance
| Educational Institution | In-State Tuition | Out-of-State Tuition | Student Population | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of South Alabama | $7,896 | $15,792 | 14,224 | SCHOOL LINK | |
| Bakersfield College (California) | $1,418 | $9,908 | 26,368 | SCHOOL LINK | |
| University of Connecticut | $17,834 | $40,502 | 27,215 | SCHOOL LINK | |
| University of Delaware | $14,660 | $36,090 | 26,316 | SCHOOL LINK | |
| University of Central Florida | $6,368 | $22,000 | 70,406 | SCHOOL LINK | |
| University of Northern Iowa | $8,938 | $21,222 | 9,231 | SCHOOL LINK | |
| Boise State University | $8,068 | $24,988 | 24,069 | SCHOOL LINK | |
| Harper Community College (Illinois) | $9,942 | $11,754 | 12,199 | SCHOOL LINK | |
| Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis | $9,944 | $31,626 | 45,328 | SCHOOL LINK | |
| University of Kentucky | $12,484 | $31,294 | 31,766 | SCHOOL LINK | |
| Towson University (Maryland) | $10,198 | $24,388 | 21,917 | SCHOOL LINK | |
| Grand Rapids Community College (Michigan) | $7,869 | $11,589 | 13,270 | SCHOOL LINK | |
| Missouri State University | $7,938 | $16,608 | 23,505 | SCHOOL LINK | |
| Hudson County Community College (New Jersey) | $8,390 | $11,798 | 8,408 | SCHOOL LINK | |
| Bronx Community College (New York) | $5,206 | $8,086 | 11,157 | SCHOOL LINK |
How Amazon Selected Its Partner Schools
Amazon has teamed up with 180 higher-education institutions, spanning community colleges and four-year universities. Ohio and Illinois lead the pack with 11 partner schools apiece, followed by Pennsylvania, California and Florida each with 10. The roster also includes a number of national online schools and technical programs.
Per Amazon’s statements, partner institutions were chosen for their track records educating adult learners — people who entered the workforce right after high school or those who lacked accessible funding for college initially. Eligible workers can take as much time as necessary to finish their degrees.
Many of the partners emphasize online learning, including institutions such as Southern New Hampshire University and Western Governors University.
List of Amazon Partner Institutions
Below is the initial roster, as compiled by Fortune Education, of 180 partner schools spanning 37 states plus national providers. Amazon is anticipated to grow the list over time.
Alabama
Jefferson State Community College Lawson State Community College University of Alabama at Birmingham University of South Alabama
Arizona
Maricopa Community Colleges Pima Community College
California
Bakersfield College California State University, Fresno California State University, Stanislaus Chaffey College Clovis Community College Modesto Junior College Moreno Valley College Riverside City College Sacramento City College SV Academy
Colorado
Community College of Aurora Metropolitan State University of Denver Colorado State University Global
Connecticut
Capital Community College Manchester Community College University of Connecticut
Delaware
Delaware Technical Community College University of Delaware Wilmington University
Florida
Florida International University Florida State College Hillsborough Community College Miami Dade College Polk State College University of Central Florida University of Florida Online Valencia College, Downtown Campus Florida State College at Jacksonville
Georgia
Atlanta Technical College Lanier Technical College
Iowa
Des Moines Area Community College University of Northern Iowa
Idaho
Boise State University College of Western Idaho
Illinois
College of Lake County – Grayslake Columbia College Harper College Joliet Junior College Lewis University Moraine Valley Community College Prairie State College Rock Valley College Triton College College of Lake County Governors State University
Indiana
Indiana University South Bend Indiana University- Southeast Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana Vincennes University
Kansas
Kansas City Kansas Community College
Kentucky
Bluegrass Community and Technical College Campbellsville University Elizabethtown Community and Technical College Gateway Community and Technical College Jefferson Community and Technical College Thomas More University University of Kentucky University of Louisville Gateway Community and Technical College
Louisiana
Louisiana State University Online
Massachusetts
Bristol Community College Ben Franklin Institute of Technology
Maryland
Anne Arundel Community College Community College of Baltimore County Towson University University of Maryland Global Campus Community College of Baltimore County University of Maryland Global Campus
Michigan
Eastern Michigan University Grand Rapids Community College Grand Valley State University Henry Ford College
Minnesota
Dakota County Technical College Minneapolis Community and Technical College
Missouri
Missouri State University Ozarks Technical Community College St. Louis Community College St. Charles Community College University of Missouri – Kansas City University of Missouri – St. Louis
New Hampshire
Southern New Hampshire University
New Jersey
Camden County College Hudson County Community College Mercer County Community College Middlesex County College Rowan College at Burlington County Rowan College South Jersey Rowan University Rutgers University – Newark Rowan College at Burlington County
New York
Outlier Flatiron School Mercy College Bronx Community College College of Staten Island CUNY School of Professional Studies Kingsborough Community College LaGuardia Community College Queens College
Nevada
College of Southern Nevada
North Carolina
Central Piedmont Community College Rowan-Cabarrus Community College University of North Carolina at Charlotte Wake Technical Community College
Ohio
Bowling Green State University Clark State Community College Cleveland State University Columbus State Community College Cuyahoga Community College Ohio Dominican University Owens Community College The University of Akron University of Toledo Columbus State Community College We Can Code IT
Oklahoma
Oklahoma State University Rogers State University Tulsa Community College University of Oklahoma Oklahoma State University – Oklahoma City
Oregon
Mt. Hood Community College Portland Community College Portland State University
Pennsylvania
Bucks County Community College Community College of Allegheny County Community College of Philadelphia Drexel University Harrisburg Area Community College – Gettysburg Campus Lehigh Carbon Community College Luzerne County Community College Northampton Community College Penn State Hazleton Penn State World Campus South Carolina Greenville Technical College Midlands Technical College Spartanburg Community College
Tennessee
Chattanooga State Community College Middle Tennessee State University Motlow State Community College Southwest Tennessee Community College The University of Memphis The University of Tennessee Volunteer State Community College
Texas
Alamo Colleges Austin Community College – Cypress Creek Campus Dallas College Houston Community College Lone Star College Tarrant County College Texas State University The University of Texas at Dallas University of North Texas
Utah
Western Governors University Bottega University Salt Lake Community College University of Utah
Virginia
John Tyler Community College Lord Fairfax Community College Northern Virginia Community College Reynolds Community College Virginia Commonwealth University
West Virginia
Mountwest Community and Technical College Blue Ridge Technical and Community College
Washington
Bellevue College City University of Seattle Eastern Washington University Green River Community College Renton Technical College Spokane Community College Tacoma Community College University of Washington- Tacoma
Wisconsin
Gateway Technical College Milwaukee Area Technical College University of Wisconsin – Parkside
National
EnGen GED Works goFLUENT Smart Horizons 160 Driving Academy Ancora Corporate Training Coding Dojo CompTIA – Online Campus Correlation One C-Tech Evolve Security Academy Kenzie Academy Merit America National University Natural Resources Training Group StrataTech (Tulsa Welding School, The Refrigeration School)
Edited by Samira Holt, a personal finance reporter and content contributor for Savinly.
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