Post-secondary education has never been more important. A partnership between Arizona State University and Starbucks Corporation is making it possible for U.S. based Starbucks employee partners to receive a bachelor’s degree, tuition free.
What is the Starbucks College Achievement Plan?
The Starbucks College Achievement Plan is a partnership that has been established between Arizona State University (ASU) and Starbucks Corporation. First established in 2014, this program provides Eligible Starbucks Partners with the ability to choose from any of the online-only bachelor’s degree programs offered through ASU Online completely tuition-free.
Eligibility and Participation
Program Eligibility
Each employee must satisfy each of the following requirements in order to be eligible for participation in the Program:
1) Must be employed within the U.S. by Starbucks or one of its U.S. subsidiaries. These include Teavana, Evolution Fresh, La Boulange, Coffee House Holdings, Seattle’s Best Coffee (Note: there is no minimum employment time required before applying to enrol in the program).
2) Must be eligible for full Starbucks benefits
3) Must not hold a prior bachelor’s degree from a nationally-accredited or regionally accredited college or university
4) Must complete the Program Application Process
5) Must satisfy ASU’s requirements for a student in “good academic standing” as defined by ASU
Application Process
1) The applicant submits an application to any of ASU’s online bachelor degree programs
2) ASU admits the applicant
3) The applicant completes a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form and any additional forms required to complete the financial aid file
4) The applicant completes all online application documents requested by Starbucks. This includes:
- A signed acknowledgement form of the agreement between Starbucks and ASU
5) Prior to beginning any coursework, the applicant completes specific tutorials and orientations geared towards the program.
Financial Information
All eligible applicants receive a CAP scholarship in the amount of 42% of total tuition upfront. This is funded by ASU and applied at the time the applicant enrols.
CAP reimbursement grant covers the rest of the expenses not covered by the scholarship, which is paid by Starbucks Corporation. These additional expenses include any of the expense of Tuition, ASU’s Financial Aid Trust Fee and Technology Fee.
Note, there is a Lifetime credit maximum, meaning each individual is only eligible for reimbursement of up to 135 credits.
Why Enrol in this Program?
1) The flexibility of the online courses allows the student and Starbucks partner to work whilst also pursuing the degree of their dreams.
2) The annual value of the plan varies on major and course load, but ASU’s online degree courses range in cost from $490 to $633, and each student is eligible for full repayment on up to 135 credits.
3) ASU is the largest and fastest-growing research university in the US and was a pioneer in online education. As such, it continues to be one of the best, with cutting technology and years of experience and troubleshooting.
4) Partners can choose from over 60 undergraduate degree programs, such as retail management, psychology, computer science, and electrical engineering.
5) Commitment-free! The program is open to any benefits-eligible partner working on average 20 hours per week, and the partner/student has no obligation to work at Starbucks for any period of time following graduation.
6) An automatic reimbursement system is in place, meaning there are no paperwork errors or confusions. The tuition reimbursement shows up automatically in the partners’ paycheck as long as they remain eligible for the program.
