Promises, promises!

I work for a very prestigious institution of higher learning. I have worked there for almost 6 years. before working there, I had a job with the school system that I loved!!! Not only did it seem like the perfect job for me, but I got 2 weeks of vacation at Christmas, a week for Spring break and my summers off. Why, pray tell, would I even attempt to leave a job like that? It's the old saying, "The grass is always greener." or maybe "Things are not always as they appear." However, I was looking, mostly for more money. Hence my search. My search brought me to where I presently work. I remember well being interviewed and told the benefits of working for this institution. Webster defines benefit as : a service (as health insurance) or right (as to take vacation time) provided by an employer in addition to wages or salary. You usually don't have to qualify for a benefit. One of the benefits of working for this institution was college tutition would be paid for my dependents. WOW!! That's a HUGE BENEFIT! I, being the questioning creature that I am, had to clarify. Me: That's just if they attend here, right? Interviewer: Oh, no, we have a list of several colleges where tuition exchange is available. Skip to a week later. I am offered the job. Not quite the money increase I was hoping for, in fact not really an increase hardly at all, and I would be giving up 11 weeks of vacation. BUT, college tuition, how can I pass that up? That's just being foolish, Terri. So, eventhough my gut was telling me to stay where I was extremely satisfied and happy, my brain was telling me that I was being selfish, and that I just didn't want to give up my summers off. I took the job. Flash forward to 5 years later. My oldest begins to look at colleges, colleges that will be paid for with my "benefit". She wants to be an actor, so our search centers around a good school to meet those needs. EUREKA! A fabulous school with a great reputation is on the "Tuition Exchange" list. We visit and decision is made that this is the first choice! Now to apply and get accepted. The nerve racking day comes for auditions to get into the theatre program. Now we have to wait two weeks. Finally the letter comes, and she is accepted!!!! Everyone is elated, but there is still the issue of financial aid. In my brain, I am thinking, well tuition is taken care of (remember the benefit), we just need to make sure that we get enough financial aid to cover room and board. MORE WAITING!! Now, this is the part where I will warn you, if you are waiting for a happy ending, stop reading now. Imagine my surprise when I learn that my daughter is on a waitlist for the "benefit" of tuition exchange! WHAT??!! A WAITLIST?!! How can that be? It's a benefit! You don't have to qualify for a benefit. That's why I took this job, that's why I've been working here for almost 6 years. We decided to be optimistic! Maybe we wouldn't need the Tuition Exchange, maybe we would qualify for full financial aid. Let's go on as if we will get it, and deposit and fill out housing applications and register for Orientation. The financial aid package comes. We are about $16,000 shy of what we need, which to me might as well be $100,000. Well, let's still be optimistic! Maybe she'll get off the waitlist. MORE WAITING!!!!! And finally the news comes, "So many qualified candidates applied, ya-da, ya-da, ya-da....we will NOT be able to provide you with a tuition exchange scholarship." Oh, now it's a scholarship! Wait, I'm a little bit confused. I was told this was a perk of working here, a "benefit", but it's only a benefit under certain qualifying factors. Do I feel it's unfair? YES! Do I feel I was misled? YES! Do I feel I was promised something and then the promise was not delivered? YES! Can I do anything about it? NO! What I have to do is take away from this a lesson learned that if something sounds too good to be true, it is, and that there is always fine print. I just didn't expect my employer to keep the magnifying glass hidden.