Starbucks will now pay for you to go to college.
The coffee empire Starbucks has announced a partnership with Arizona State University to pay for the (online) college education of its 135,000 U.S. employees, according to the New York Times.
The program is open to any of the company’s 135,000 United States employees, provided they work at least 20 hours a week and have the grades and test scores to gain admission to Arizona State. For a barista with at least two years of college credit, the company will pay full tuition; for those with fewer credits it will pay part of the cost, but even for many of them, courses will be free, with government and university aid.
The offer even extends to Starbucks other companies including Teavana, La Boulange, Evolution Fresh, and Seattle’s Best.
The program is called the “Starbucks College Achievement Plan“. “Partners will have a dedicated enrollment coach, financial aid counselor and academic advisor to support them through graduation. The program also will include adaptive learning services to help students progress at the right pace for them, networking and community-building opportunities and additional resources to help students plan their educations. (Arizona State University)”.
Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz is promoting the new program arguing that it will increase performance and attract and retain better employees.
With degrees in the Arts such as Exploratory Humanities, Fine Arts and Design aspiring actors, producers, and directors have the ability to work on their career while employed.
Also, since the requirement is only 20 hours a week, this may be one of the best jobs for aspiring actors allowing them flexibility for auditions, head shots, and acting classes.
What do you think the future will hold? Do you think other companies will start providing free education to their employees? Do you think the value of a college degree will decrease? Share with us your thoughts in the comments below!
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