Liberty Mutual dedicated $8.5 million to tuition reimbursement: Here's how this VP benefited

In the 11 years Alex Hall has been with Liberty Mutual, he has pursued a master's degree in HR, as well as an MBA, all paid for by the company. But the organization's tuition reimbursement program provides more than just a free degree — the counseling and support Hall received was a pivotal part of his success. 

"When an employee goes into the tuition reimbursement program, a manager is checking in with them [saying,] 'How can I support you?' and 'How can we make what you are learning applicable to the job you're doing today?'" says Hall, now a VP and senior director of talent acceleration. "When I go to meetings with certain groups, I feel a lot more confident. That's a change that occurred in me as I completed the program." 

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Tuition reimbursement is a popular concept among employers — 80% of large employers were offering it as of 2021, according to Willis Towers Watson. At Liberty Mutual, workers are eligible for the benefit after just one year of employment, and receive up to $9,000 per year in educational reimbursement. Any additional amount can be carried over until all costs are paid off, minus any incurred interest. More than 1,200 employees utilized the benefit in 2022, an investment of $8.5 million by the company. 

Hall did have to take out a student loan to begin work on his MBA, but discussing the details of the degree he wanted to pursue with his manager helped him be sure they aligned with both his work-life balance and his budget. Today, he offers the same support to those he oversees.

"The first conversation we like to encourage is why do you want a degree," he says. "Is the budget something I can afford? What skills are you looking to grow? What do you need for your job or next role, and is the degree the avenue that's going to get you where you're going?"

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While Hall says the decision to get a masters in HR was easy, he elected to step out of his comfort zone when signing up for his MBA program with a concentration in finance. Finding himself in the weeds of learning about budgets was very different from his day job in HR, but he loved the challenge and now uses those skills to interact with employees outside of his direct team. 

"While I may not know everything all the time, I can actually engage, and that makes me feel good. I had the opportunity to get hands-on with information and to get comfortable and confident with the coursework," he says. "I was comfortable with not knowing and saying, 'Could we sit down and walk me through how you do this?' It's actually made me a couple of friends out of the process, and I'm very appreciative of that."

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Managers are a big part of this journey with employees, but if additional guidance is needed, Liberty Mutual offers access to career counseling services through a vendor. Hall's experience through the tuition reimbursement program has made him a thoughtful mentor no matter where someone is in their professional or educational journey, and he advises employers, regardless of their benefits, to make sure support is at the core of any education program.

"There are lots of barriers to not having support around you," Hall says. "It's been important to me both as an administrator of this as well as a student to have a place you can go and talk to someone about the program you're in. This is part of our investment in our employees — making sure they feel supported and cared for."