While most University of Memphis students are tucked in bed,sleeping soundly, others are hard at work pushing, pulling,scanning and stacking the thousands of packages that move throughFedEx's Memphis hub nightly.
To attract and retain workers, the express carrier and packagedelivery company offers students benefits not typically offered inretail sales or the restaurant business, like tuitionreimbursement.
"I went to work at FedEx for the tuition reimbursement and themedical insurance," said Peter Merrill, a freshman broadcastjournalism major who has worked at FedEx for five months.
Eligible employees can receive up to $3,500 per calendar year inbenefits from the FedEx Tuition Assistance Program.
"When you add the $3,500 that you get back for school with themoney you make every week, it turns out to be a pretty good dealfor a student," Merrill said.
FedEx reimburses students for course work with at least a gradeof "C-" for undergraduate courses and a "B-" for graduatecourses.
But this year, there are new stipulations to the program.
Students who have worked for FedEx and gone to The U of M forover a year probably remember when they could have their tuitionand fees deferred until the end of the semester, when they receivedtheir tuition assistance.
"Until last year, all you had to do was show your ID at theBursar's Office, and they would defer payment until you got yourgrades," said Mea Parker, a senior criminal justice major who hasworked for FedEx for four years.
The University's work loan program, which offered a 100 percentloan on tuition to employees of certain companies was ceased lastspring, according to Carol Warren, assistant bursar.
However, several attempts at the Bursar's Office and FedEx tofind out why the program was discontinued yielded no results.
Parker had her own theory on the cause for the change.
"I know some people would get the check from FedEx and not paythe school back," she said. "Now we all have to suffer."
The University now offers an installment plan for fall andspring semesters to help students cover their fees, Warrensaid.
