Can't Swing the Cost of College? 9 Companies That Can Help

College definitely isn't getting any cheaper, as Massachusetts' MEFA College Cost Projector makes clear. It projects tuition, housing, food, and fees for people starting school in 2025 to be $14,873 for a national public two-year school, $25,668 for a national public in-state four-year school, and $45,413 for the out-of-state version. As Quartz notes, those numbers are drastically higher than they were 20 years ago: Tuition and fees have increased more than 120% in the past two decades. Would-be students looking for financial assistance with their degree might want to check out these major employers, which offer some form of tuition assistance:

1. Target: Its Dream to Be benefit, which launched in 2021, gives US-based part-time and full-time team members access to tuition-free program options at more than 40 schools, colleges, and universities. They can select from 250-plus business-aligned programs in disciplines like Business Management and Computer Science. Select Master's degree programs at certain schools are also eligible for partial funding.
2. Amazon: Regular, full-time, and part-time roles come with paid tuition through the company's Career Choice program, with workers who are pursuing their Bachelor's degree able to access funding for tuition, books, and fees up to an annual limit.
3. Starbucks: Employees are eligible from day one of employment for 100% upfront tuition coverage toward a first-time bachelor's degree at Arizona State University. There are 150+ undergraduate online programs to choose from.

4. Boeing: Its "industry-leading tuition assistance program" provides up to $25,000 per year for graduate degrees in many fields of study. There's no annual limit for employees who are enrolled in certain science, technology, engineering, and mathematics degree and certificate courses at partner schools. It will also cover part of the cost toward obtaining a pilot's license and offers undergraduate scholarships for employees' dependents.
5. Papa Johns: Eligible Papa Johns corporate team members can enroll in the company's Dough & Degrees program free of charge. The online programs of study include associate's, bachelor's, and master's degrees. Its education partners include eCornell, University of Phoenix, and the University of Maryland Global Campus.
6. Chipotle: Through its Guild program, employees can get 100% tuition coverage for 300+ programs from 20+ schools, colleges, and universities in areas like technology, business, and healthcare. They can receive up to $5,250 per year for other undergrad and master's degree programs in the Guild catalog.
7. Home Depot: Its Tuition Reimbursement Program supports salaried, full-time, and part-time hourly associates who are pursuing an associate's, bachelor's, master's, doctoral, or technical degree. Employees can receive discounted tuition at select universities. Tuition reimbursement can also be applied to a school of their choosing as long as the course selection meets the eligibility requirements.
8. UPS: Its Earn & Learn tuition assistance program provides employees with up to $5,250 of tuition reimbursement per calendar year, with a lifetime max of $25,000. There are no course restrictions.
9. Publix: Any associate with 90 days of continuous service who works an average of 10 hours a week is eligible to participate in the Tuition Reimbursement program, which covers a wide range of majors including cybersecurity, accounting, and public relations. Publix will reimburse $4,000 per calendar year, with a lifetime max of $16,000.

(More college tuition stories.)