NEA Supports Members in Difficult Economy

WASHINGTON, DC, July 22, 2011 (Press-News.org) To support National Education Association (NEA) members who have been affected by budget cuts and other issues related to the downturn in the economy, NEA Member Benefits has teamed up with partner organizations to offer financial services and insurance support as well as tuition reductions for continuing education.

"In this tough economic climate, it's imperative for us to assist our educators around the country with creative financial assistance and ensure they get the support and consideration they need and deserve," said NEA MB CEO Gary Phoebus.

As part of the nationwide Member Assistance Program, participating NEA members can receive help with debt management, credit cards, personal loans, home counseling and financing and retirement planning. They are also eligible for life insurance plan support, income protection, long-term care and homeowner's insurance assistance. Vision and prescription savings plans are also available.

New additions to the Member Assistance Program include access to national job listings through Teachers-Teachers.com and education opportunities online with NEA Academy partner Walden University's Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership. Through NEA's partnership with Walden, members receive a 10% tuition reduction on the M.S. in Education and the M.S. in Instructional Design and Technology. Qualified NEA members can receive 50% reduction off their first term, followed by a 10% tuition reduction for the lifetime of their program. For more information and to find out if you qualify, contact a Walden enrollment advisor at 1-866-492-5336 or visit: http://www.neaacademy.org/walden_map.html

"Nothing is more important to us than helping members with their careers through initiatives like this," said Mr. Phoebus. "We are pleased to continue working with Walden to provide a new opportunity for those who wish to return to the field with renewed excitement and passion."

The NEA Academy is the association's affordable, online program to assist members with their career and professional educational requirements. The Academy was established to meet the changing needs of NEA members and the expanding and diverse population educators serve. Specifically, the Academy was designed to help NEA members attend college online to earn their teaching master's degrees and continuing education.

About NEA Member Benefits & NEA Academy
The National Education Association is the nation's largest professional employee organization, representing 3.2 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators and students preparing to become teachers. The NEA Academy is the professional learning group developed to support educators with the highest quality online programs and is dedicated to meeting the professional needs of teachers and education support professionals.

NEA MB is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the NEA charged with bringing additional value to Association membership by providing financial products and solutions tailored for NEA members and their families. http://www.neaacademy.org.