Starbucks To Provide Free College For Employees

Good news for anyone getting in the work force, there could be a free college education waiting for you!

Starbucks recently announced that they will be providing a free online college education to its workers, they don't even have to stay with the company. They made the arrangement with Arizona State University, which has one of the largest online degree programs in the country.

The program is open to any employee of Starbucks who works at least 20 hours a week, and has grades and test scores high enough to be admitted to Arizona State.

A barista with at least two years of college credit will have their tuition paid in full; employees with fewer credits will pay part of the cost, government and university aid will most likely make for free courses.

The New York Times puts this in perspective:

Starbucks is, in effect, inviting its workers, from the day they join the company, to study whatever they like, and then leave whenever they like — knowing that many of them, degrees in hand, will leave for better-paying jobs.

-NYTimes.Com

I have to say, props to Starbucks for doing this. It really makes me wish I could have taken advantage when I entered the workforce out of high school. This makes me feel better about spending $5 on a cup of coffee.