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When people think of a McDonald’s employee, they usually think of a person who either is using this type of job as entry to the work field or who is doomed to perpetual limbo asking if customers want fries with their burgers. Actually, the land of the Golden Arches also offers a program it calls the McDonald’s USA National Employee Scholarship Program. Employees who have worked for them for only four months can get anywhere from $2,500 to $5,000 a year in college grants, online or on campus. The only other proviso is that the person continue working there 15 hours a week. While this type of scholarship is for those who work for that company, other types, such as Pell grants for college, are not that job-specific.

What this all leads to is the fact that there is a lot of financial aid to be had from employment here and other sources. When you think about it, this makes perfect sense. In McDonalds’ case, they create a high quality labor pool with each year’s worth of grants. It’s a great way to build future management. True, $5,000 may not pay a full year’s tuition, but it certainly takes a lot of the bite out of it. Quite frankly, anyone considering college should also fill out their FASFA forms and apply for a Pell grant, and any other federal or state and academic grant they can find. If you need more information about pell grants for college, look on the internet.

The wonderful site, College For Katie, actually lists a number of other ways the corporate world gives the academic one financial aid. Many of these organizations actually want their work force to go to an online college so they are advancing productive employees. As such, those considering an online degree should ask their human relations department if they offer any of the following:

Direct Pay Tuition Assistance: The most direct of the forms of financial assistance. The employer pays up front for the course, certificate or degree program. The employee has no out of pocket expense. One could say this is as pure a form of financial aid outside of government grants and academic scholarships as is possible.

Reimbursed Tuition Assistance: In a way it’s a form of loan. The employer pays for the course, certificate or degree program after the employee has successfully completed the program. The employer may pay after each course or only after the certificate or degree is completed. Payment must be done out of the student’s pocket, and the refund could also be tied to grade point average. There is an abundance of information about pell grant application on the web.

529 College Savings Program: The employer may offer a college savings program as a part of their benefits package. As a part of this program, the employer may match contributions made by the employee into the program. Parents in particular should think about this for their children.

On The Job Training: Literally the employee advances his/her education while working. Many employers have developed comprehensive training programs that mix classroom and working. Some employers, such as the Queens Public Library system, have arranged with online and local community colleges to provide credit for the completion of such programs.

Again, what the company offers may not be enough to pay a year’s worth of school, but it could still be considerable when it supplements online grants for college or other grant and scholarship offerings. Talking to an online college financial advisor about student loans is another great place for more information.