Wegmans just announced $6 million in college scholarships for 1,500+ employees. Here’s why that matters for every HR and Operations leader.

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What they did

Wegmans Food Markets, a regional grocery chain, is investing heavily in the growth of its frontline workforce through its longstanding Employee Scholarship Program. For the 2025–26 academic year, more than 1,500 new employee recipients will receive tuition assistance, totaling approximately $6 million. Part-time workers are eligible for up to $8,000 over four years, while full-time employees can receive up to $16,000, regardless of field of study or career path post-graduation.

This isn’t a PR stunt. Since 1984, Wegmans has awarded over $150 million in scholarships to more than 48,000 employees. It’s part of a broader investment in people: in 2024 alone, 1,340 employees completed formal development programs, and one in four team members advanced into new roles, transfers, or promotions.

Why we love it

• By removing limits on the number of scholarships and allowing any field of study, Wegmans shows it values people’s potential, not just their current role.
• Many scholarship recipients stay with Wegmans after graduation, growing within the company. That’s not just loyalty, it’s internal mobility in action.
• Eligibility is based on work performance and hours, not GPA or major, keeping the opportunity accessible and aligned with on-the-job contribution.

How to implement this idea

Want to launch or scale your own frontline scholarship program? Here’s a tactical playbook:

1. Set eligibility by contribution, not credentials
   Define requirements based on performance reviews and hours worked, not academic achievements. This ensures equity and rewards dedication.
2. Cap amounts, not impact
   Offer tiered assistance based on employment status (e.g., full-time vs part-time), but avoid capping the number of recipients. This builds morale across the board.
3. Make study field-agnostic
   Allow employees to pursue any degree or certification. When you invest in the whole person, not just their utility to the business, retention follows.
4. Celebrate recipients publicly
   Wegmans stores hosted in-person celebrations for scholarship winners, reinforcing a culture of recognition. Even a small event or internal spotlight can go a long way.
5. Track return on investment
   Monitor post-scholarship outcomes: retention, promotion rates, and employee satisfaction. Use this data to improve and scale the program.

How WorkStep can help

WorkStep’s platform can power a frontline-focused initiative like Wegmans’ by helping you:

• Pinpoint what matters most- Is education assistance the right lever? Or do your employees crave better scheduling, pay equity, or development pathways? WorkStep surfaces the insights to drive informed investment.
• Spot high-potential talent and trends- Use performance and worker engagement data to identify standout employees or locations ready for development opportunities.
• Measure long-term impact- Track how scholarship recipients progress over time, from employee retention to internal mobility, to prove ROI and improve future programs.
• Close the feedback loop- Continuously gather frontline feedback to understand how your initiatives are landing and where to iterate for even greater impact.

By integrating WorkStep into your workforce development strategy, you can turn education assistance from a feel-good perk into a data-backed retention engine.

Ready to invest in your people?

Whether it’s scholarships, upskilling, or new pathways to promotion, programs like these prove the frontline is worth betting on. With WorkStep, you’ll have the tools to do it smarter.