I’m not a Wal-Mart shopper. It’s not that I don’t like low prices; it’s just that this ridiculously large purveyor of goods has a history of labor abuses, not to mention driving smaller stores out of business. That said, I try not hold grudges. Wal-Mart has been taking steps to make their company greener, and various institutions of law have made sure that they’re respecting labor laws. What they’re doing now has me downright shocked.

Wal-Mart Employees to Get Tuition Breaks for Online College

In a partnership with American Public University, Wal-Mart is going to start offering it’s employees a 15 percent tuition break. They’ve dedicated $50 million to dissemination over the course of three years. According to former education under secretary Sara Martinez Tucker, who is now on the company’s external advisory council, If 10 to 15 percent of Wal-Mart employees take advantage of this, that’s like graduating three Ohio State Universities,” which gives you an idea about just how many people work at Wal-Mart.

From the New York Times’ article on the subject:

The program will initially allow about 200,000 employees in positions like cashier, department manager and distribution center unloader to accrue credits for training they already receive in their jobs.

For instance, a department-level manager, who receives training from Wal-Mart in areas like pricing, inventory management and ethics, would be eligible for 24 on-the-job credits, at no charge, toward a 61-credit associates’ degree. A cashier would be eligible for six credits toward a 61-credit associate’s degree or a 120-credit bachelor’s degree.

Credits for work experience and a 15-percent tuition break? It’s an online college, too, which means that–really–any employee with Internet access is good to go. I’m still not sure I’ll shop there, but I’m proud of Wal-Mart. It’s a fantastic nod to online education, too.