As an employee of the University of Illinois, I had hoped to take advantage of the tuition waiver benefit and pursue a masters degree. In my first attempt, I was denied admission to the program I applied to. In my second, and most recent attempt, I was accepted to a program that closely relates to my current job duties. Imagine my delight at the prospect of me furthering my education and toiling away to earn my masters degree, so I could potentially improve my level of service to my employer and maybe even earn a little more money down the line.
Well, as it happens, I didn’t read the fine print as closely as I should have. It turns out that the program I applied to doesn’t allow for the tuition waiver.
I can’t help but feel a little betrayed by this. Isn’t it a bit hypocritical for an institution of higher learning NOT to encourage its employees to further their education by offering a tuition waiver across ALL programs–especially one that falls under the category of “Continuing Education”? Wouldn’t such a policy serve to increase employee retention and encourage a higher level of service from its staff?
The clincher? This policy of disallowing the tuition waiver for this particular program was enacted starting this semester.
Poetic, huh?
I try really hard not to take setbacks like this personally; and I try not to subscribe to the “all the world’s against me” paranoia. But at times like this, it really seems like I just can’t get a break…