A study compared the tuition-aid programs of the Department of Energy (DOE) contractors with U.S. private industry education-assistance programs. In order to complete their comparative analysis, researchers mailed questionnaires to 51 DOE contractors. Particular emphasis was placed on requirements for tuition aid, allowable expenses, level of reimbursement, and other educational options. After some follow-up, 42 completed questionnaires were returned. Analysis of data obtained from the survey revealed that, on the whole, DOE contractor tuition-aid programs were quite similar to corresponding private industry programs. Both types of programs had similar requirements, allowed similar expenses, and operated comparable costs. However, the number of DOE contractor tuition-aid recipients (based on comparisons that take facility size and function into account) was slightly higher than that reported by private U.S. companies. (MN)