The Walt Disney Company announced that they will pay the tuition for 80,000 of their hourly workers to go back to school.
The company just launched an education program called Disney Aspire that was first announced back in January.
The program will cover 100 percent of the tuition upfront and will reimburse application fees, the cost of books, and materials.
Disney has invested an initial $50 million in the initiative and pledged up to an additional $25 million annually.
Workers can use the program to pursue college or master’s degrees, high-school equivalency, English-language learning, vocational training and more.
Employees don’t have to study in areas related to their jobs and there’s no obligation to stay at Disney after their studies are over.
The program is through Guild Education and the program partners with Bellevue University, Brandman University, University of Denver, University of Florida and Wilmington University.
Disney Aspire will be rolling out this program in phases with the first being limited to online classes.
In-classroom courses could be added if there's demand for them.
If you're wondering about full-time employees, Disney already offers tuition assistance for them.
Senior executive vice president and chief HR officer at Disney, Jayne Parker said, “At The Walt Disney Co., we strive to empower and support employees in their professional and personal lives.”
She continued saying, “We are constantly looking at ways to help people realize their ambitions and fulfill their dreams, this program is the latest in that effort. Personally, I’m very excited to see what our cast members and employees accomplish with this opportunity.”
What do you think about this?