Taco Bell Free College

[jamshid666]

I haven’t looked into this Taco Bell program, but a couple years ago I considered picking up a part time job for an education benefit along these lines. I asked about it in an interview. Turns out, it was only offered at corporate stores and I had applied to a franchise store. I ended up asking to withdraw my application, the education benefit was only one reason I did so.

Just a recommendation that people do their due diligence on these programs. Many stores and restaurants, including a lot that are on college campuses, in truck stops, at airports and train stations, and in other institutional setting along with many franchised locations do not participate in these programs!

Good to point out.  You should always check to make sure that the program applies to the site you work at.

Also, it could go away at any time, so making sure you choose a school you can afford if the company decides to cancel the program is important.  I would do 1-2 courses at a time, and make sure they're paid in full before signing up for additional courses.  OR, if you're going with a company that reimburses you, never owe for more than 1-2 courses.

Some companies have worked out discounts with schools, so even though you have to pay for it, it's a lot less: Pizza Hut has worked out a 50% discount for EC. That means that classes are $250/cr as long as you take 12/13cr there, and you can get a degree for $3,770 (tuition and fees at EC).

I'd like to add something else to consider on programs like this: I don't know what Taco Bell's policy is, but my employer reimburses me up to $5,000 per year for education and certifications, as long as they are job-related.  The catch is that I have to maintain my employment for at least one year past the reimbursement date or I have to pay that money back to the company.  I love where I work, so that's not a concern for me, but always find out what the "gotcha's" are when you sign on for something like this.