SAN MATEO, CA – October 28, 2026 – Tuition.io, the leading platform for employer-sponsored education assistance benefits, today released the findings of its new Career Pathway Survey, exploring how employers can turn interest in career-aligned education into employee participation. The survey reveals that most frontline workers believe their companies have achievable paths to higher-paying roles, but concerns about tuition costs and time commitments prevent them from pursuing the requisite education.
Frontline turnover is costly. Replacing an employee costs between 50% and 200% of their annual salary, and the number climbs higher for specialized roles. Career pathway programs can cover the tuition costs for certificates, degrees, foundational learning or apprenticeships, giving employers a lever for workforce retention and role-specific upskilling. They also provide workers an accessible opportunity for career mobility amid rising education costs.
To learn what makes career pathway programs credible enough to be worth an employee’s time, Tuition.io surveyed 525 workers across frontline healthcare, retail and food service roles. The survey shows that most workers (81%) can see what it takes to move into a better-paying role with their company, and 67% feel at least somewhat confident there is a realistic shot at getting there. However, 96% of respondents cited barriers that would make it difficult to commit to a program.
“Employers and employees both see the value of career pathways and education assistance benefits, but just because the programs exist doesn’t mean workers are in a position to take on that coursework,” said Jeni Burckart, VP of Healthcare and Workforce Services at Tuition.io. “Caregiving responsibilities, living paycheck to paycheck and changing work schedules can make taking on another task seem impossible. Organizations can overcome some of these barriers with upfront payment, clear timelines for completion, role mapping with interview opportunities, and peer testimonials from past participants.”
Additional key findings from the survey include:
- Upfront payment removes the biggest barrier to entry: Nearly 80% of workers say they would be more likely to participate in an employer-sponsored education program if tuition were paid upfront rather than reimbursed. For workers living paycheck to paycheck, reimbursement models that require fronting tuition costs can put programs out of reach before they begin.
- Transparency drives enrollment: Almost half of workers said a guaranteed interview after completion would greatly increase their confidence in a program, and 44% said the same of clear requirements for qualifying for the new role. For 30% of workers, knowing the new role’s pay would be most convincing that a program is worth their time.
- Repayment risk weighs heavily on workers: The obligation to repay employer-covered tuition is workers’ top concern (34%). Clawback clauses, particularly those with long repayment windows, can turn a benefit into a real financial liability if a worker changes jobs.
- Time is also a factor: 30% worry about finding enough time outside work to complete a course, and 24% worry about fitting coursework into an unpredictable schedule.
- Coworkers are the most trusted source on the value of a program: When deciding whether a career pathway is worth pursuing, 48% of workers trust coworkers who previously completed a program, far ahead of direct managers (14%) and HR and benefits teams (13%).
To explore the survey findings and how employers can turn interest in career pathway programs into participation, visit https://www.tuition.io/briefings/nov-2026-career-pathway-survey.
About the Report
The Career Pathway Report survey sampled 525 non-managerial employees aged 18-45 at U.S. companies with at least 1,000 employees, across healthcare, retail, and food service, screened for either no college degree or early-career status, defined as ages 18-24. Tuition.io partnered with Centiment to field the survey between August and September 2026. Analysis focused on what convinces workers that an employer-sponsored career pathway program is worth pursuing, and how that answer changes by industry, age, and education level.
Tuition.io is the leading employer-sponsored education benefit platform specializing in student loan benefits and tuition assistance administration. Its solutions help employers hire, retain, and upskill talent by addressing the dual challenges of historic student debt and the ROI of higher education. For more information, visit Tuition.io.
