Usage by MGB employees more than doubled in past year; program now offering 20% reduction to family members

For the past 18-months, the MGH Institute’s Tuition Reduction Incentive Plan (TRIP) has provided a seamless approach to career mobility for Mass General Brigham employees who are balancing their work, education, and other commitments. Now the popular plan is expanding. 

Family members of Mass General Brigham employees are now eligible for a 20% tuition reduction on 15 Institute programs and more than two dozen pre-requisite courses. This builds on the current Tuition Reduction Incentive Plan (TRIP), which provides tuition savings in the following ways: 

  • 40% tuition reduction for Mass General Brigham (MGB) employees
  • 20% tuition reduction for Institute alumni and preceptors as well as employees at over 600 clinical and educational affiliate organizations
  • No upfront costs: The $500 deposit is waived and no application fee

“I think it's pretty incredible,” said Colleen Moran, Acting Executive Director for Workforce Development for Mass General Brigham. “It's on a plane with health and dental insurance - these things that are for the strength and health of your family. So, I think that that's a really nice extension of the benefit. It’s innovative and creative.” 

The new family benefit extends to spouses, domestic partners, and children (of any age), furthering the MGH Institute’s commitment to making education more accessible and supporting the educational aspirations of the entire MGB family.

“It's really the umbrella idea of helping our communities grow and strengthen,” added Dena Lerra, Senior Workforce Development Operations Manager for Mass General Brigham. “This is a wonderful opportunity for the system to let employees know that it's not just the employee that we are helping to bring up and grow, that it's also their family members. It's the whole person, which includes their family.”

TRIP has seen its popularity steadily grow across the system, with enrollment of Mass General Brigham employees jumping 66% from Spring 2024 to Spring 2025. Since Fall 2024, the number of MGB employees has more than doubled, from 111 students to 272 students, representing 16% of total student enrollment at the MGH Institute. 

“The positive response and participation of our fellow MGB employees in the Institute’s TRIP have been incredible,” said Reamer Bushardt, Provost, and Vice President for Academic Affairs at the MGH Institute. “By taking advantage of accessible, more affordable, and flexible courses designed for busy working professionals, health system employees are acquiring new knowledge and skills, earning promotions, and advancing their careers.” 

The Tuition Reduction and Incentive Plan was launched in August of 2023 after collaboration between leaders of the MGH Institute and Mass General Brigham on the best way to develop – and retain – its workforce.

“People can stay at MGB during the course of their studies and then develop these new skills,” said Moran. “Then they can either get deeper into the work or move to a new role. That’s a win all around.”

“It's exceptional,” said Lerra of TRIP. “It's a long time coming, and it conveys that it’s not just MGB but the MGH Institute cares about our workforce. The IHP is answering the needs of not just MGB employees, but of our greater community in Boston.”

And it’s all possible thanks to the combination of Mass General Brigham, the largest private employer in the Commonwealth, and the MGH Institute, the only degree-granting affiliate in the system. 

“We are fortunate to be a part of large, cutting-edge health system that has its Institute and degree-granting entity,” said Bushardt, “because we can help unlock our people’s potential, invest in their ongoing education, and help employees grow their knowledge, careers and ability to support their families.” 

If you’re interested in the March 18th TRIP information session, register here.