Thousands of Starbucks employees will soon get the chance to get a college education for free through online programs from Arizona State University.
The coffee chain partnered with Arizona State to offer eligible Starbucks employees (who work a minimum of 20 hours a week) the chance to enroll in an online Bachelor’s degree program with the university.
The employees must meet the university’s grade and test score requirements to be admitted into Arizona State. Employees who already have two years or more of college credit will be able to get their full tuition paid for, while those with less than two years of credits will get part of their education paid for.
What sets this program apart from the education offerings from other companies is that there are no out-of-pocket costs for the students/employees. It isn’t tuition reimbursement.
The program is also open to all employees, even brand new ones. Many companies only offer education benefits to employees who have been with the company for a specific amount of time.
Another perk for Starbucks employees is that they are free to leave after graduating. Companies that pay for their employees to go to school often require them to stay with the company for a set amount of time afterward, but this program has no such limitation.
Companies sometimes require their employees to take classes only in a field directly related to the job if they are paying for the education, but the Starbucks and Arizona State partnership lets the students choose what to study.
Starbucks’ 135,000 employees in the United States can pick from around 40 programs, like business, nursing or engineering. Even employees who don’t work directly in a Starbucks location, like employees from their offices, coffee roasting facilities or associated brands like Teavana, Evolution Fresh or La Boulange, can participate.
Cliff Burrows, president of the Americas region of Starbucks, told Bloomberg that this program is “the best way” that the coffee company can serve the employees and partners who work so hard for them.
