Graduate Program Tuition Reimbursement

Effective Jan. 1, 2022

Qualifications

To be eligible, you must

submit an application and be approved for the program
be a current full-time associate for 2 consecutive years
maintain a total performance rating of at least successful
receive management approval
participate in an approved area of study
attend an approved regionally accredited college/university
earn at least a C in the course
submit required paperwork by the established deadline
agree to remain with Publix in your current or higher-level full-time position during participation and for at least 2 years following your final reimbursement or you'll be required to repay all reimbursements you've received and
be employed at Publix when the reimbursement check is issued.

Approved areas of study

Approved areas of study include any degree that meets a corporate need or satisfies a required or preferred qualification based on your current job or established career path. "Established career path" is the natural progression within your current business area.

At this time, retail positions do not require or prefer a graduate degree.

What Publix pays toward this program

Publix reimburses tuition costs and related fees for the graduate program, up to the amount listed below.

Reimbursement Limits	Amount
Lifetime limit	$16,900
Annual calendar limit	n/a

Note: Tuition reimbursements are added to your regular pay, and the entire amount of your tuition reimbursement is subject to income taxes. Federal and state income tax withholding (if applicable) and social security and Medicare taxes (FICA taxes) will be deducted from your tuition reimbursement. Federal income tax will be withheld at the supplemental income tax withholding rate. The gross amount of your tuition reimbursement will be included in Box 1 of your Form W‑2.

Lifetime limit increase

Effective Jan. 1, 2022, the lifetime limit increased for this program.

You are eligible for a new lifetime limit if you

reached the lifetime limit previously and are still enrolled in your approved area of study after Jan. 1, 2022, or
reapply for a different eligible area of study and meet the qualification requirements.

Graduate program application

To apply for acceptance into the tuition reimbursement program, complete the graduate application and submit it following the instructions on the application form.

Once your application is processed, you'll receive an email at your store or support work location to inform you of your acceptance into the program.
If you do not receive an updated status email within 6 weeks, contact the tuition reimbursement department to find out the status of your application.

Note: Classes completed prior to program acceptance are not eligible for reimbursement.

Repayment agreement

Due to the financial investment Publix is making in your advanced level of education, graduate program participants must agree to work for Publix in their current or higher-level full-time position during participation and for 2 years following the final reimbursement payment.

Please complete the graduate program repayment agreement and submit it to the tuition reimbursement department. The tuition reimbursement department must receive your signed repayment agreement before they can approve any reimbursement requests.

Reimbursement request form

If you've been accepted into the program, you may submit a request for reimbursement once your classes/semester ends.

To request reimbursement

complete the graduate program reimbursement request form
submit it along with a

grade report and
receipt showing detailed tuition costs and method(s) of payment, such as grants/scholarships, student loans, check, credit card, etc.

Keep your confirmation page for future reference to confirm that the tuition reimbursement department received all the required documents. If you have not received an email confirmation within 48 hours of submitting, contact the tuition reimbursement department. It can take up to 6 weeks to process your application or reimbursement request.