Aetna and Charter Oak State College have formed a unique partnership to encourage Aetna employees to pursue their academic goals. Participants in this program have the option of earning an online certificate, Associate degree and/or Bachelor's degree, depending upon their prior academic experience and professional development goals.

Courses are internet-based, and can be accessed from either home or work locations. Use of company equipment during non-working hours has been approved for the employees participating in this program. Discuss the arrangement with your manager to ensure that there is a clear understanding of the scheduled times that you will be using Aetna resources (e-mail, fax, phone, computer, etc.).

Any course that applies toward a student's degree requirements is subject to 100% tuition reimbursement, as long as the employee meets ETAP eligibility requirements and is mapped to one of the program sponsors. This is a substantial improvement over the normal ETAP policy of reimbursing 80% of tuition for work-related courses only. As an incentive to take courses related more specifically to the Healthcare Industry, the program sponsors will also reimburse the costs of textbooks for certain industry-related courses taken by their employees.

Aetna has contracted with Charter Oak to provide a full-time Academic Counselor, based at the Windsor, Connecticut facility, to answer any questions that you may have about the program and to assist you in planning your degree. This is a very individualized program, with a great deal of flexibility. Students work closely with the Academic Counselor to select courses that they find interesting, while also satisfying their degree requirements.