AUTHOR’S NAME HERE

Kimberly K. Estep, Ph.D.

Chancellor, WGU Tennessee

November 14, 2018

COST-EFFECTIVE EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT:OPTIONS FOR THE RURAL HEALTHCARE WORKFORCE

HISTORICAL TRENDS IN EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT

• Front-loaded education replaced by lifelong learning

• New fringe benefits options

• Career ladder replaced by gig economy

• Increased focus on retention of hard-to-replace

employees

PROGRAM DEMAND BY HEALTHCARE EMPLOYEES

• RN-to-BSN

• Health informatics

• Information Technology/Information Security

• Healthcare analytics

• Healthcare management

BARRIERS TO EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT

• Cost

• Distance from Providers

• Time/Competing Commitments

• Uncertainty about ROI

TENNESSEE RECONNECT

Helpful links:

https://www.tnreconnect.gov

https://www.tnreconnect.gov/TalktoanAdvisor/TennesseeReconnectCom

munityAdvisors/tabid/5241/Default.asp

• Tennessee Reconnect Communitieso Middle Tennessee Reconnect

o Southwest Tennessee Reconnect

o Upper Cumberland Reconnect

o South Central Reconnect

o Northwest Reconnect

o Graduate Memphis Reconnect

o Smoky Mountain Reconnect

TENNESSEE STUDENT ASSISTANCE AWARD (TSAA)

*Eligibility: TN Resident, at least ½ time enrollment, EFC $2,100 or less

Helpful link:

Type of Institution Max Award

Four-year private $4,000

Four-year public $2,000

Two-year public $1,300

TCAT $1,000

https://www.tn.gov/collegepays/money-for-college/grant-

programs/tennessee-student-assistance-award.html

NAVIGATING THE FAFSA

• What you need to apply for the Free Application for

Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

o Prior-prior year tax data (2017 for 2019-20 school year)

o Verification of tax data can be daunting

Helpful link:

https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa

KEY STATE GRANT AID DEADLINES

FAFSA Opens: October 1State deadline for aid: February 1

INSTITUTIONAL SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS

www.wgu.edu/scholarships

IRS GUIDELINES ON TUITION ASSISTANCE

• $5,250 annual max is deductible by employer but not taxable to employee

• Reimbursement above this amount must be declared and taxed as income

• Applicable to tuition/fees/books only

• Can be provided either up-front oras reimbursement

HELP YOUR EMPLOYEES AVOID COMMON PITFALLS

• Choosing the wrong college/university

• Borrowing too much

• Not budgeting sufficient time

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

• Digital Badges

• Stackable certificates

• Non-credit to Credit-bearing options