Dive Brief:
- Partners Healthcare has teamed up with College for America, a Southern New Hampshire University online program, to offer employees a chance at a low-cost college degree.
- The total cost of tuition is $2,500 per year; Partners offers full-time employees $2,000 in tuition reimbursement annually.
- The new partnership will allow employees to get a full degree for around $500 per year, whereas the $2,000 per year offered by Partners would normally only cover a few classes.
Dive Insight:
College for America offers four degree paths, primarily through employers: two associates's degrees in general studies (one with a business concentration; the other with a nonclinical healthcare concentration); a bachelor's in healthcare management and a bachelor's in communication. So far, around 75 companies have signed up, including McDonald's and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield. Partners has made the most substantial commitment. "What's remarkable here is that the largest private employer in the state is making an accredited college degree available for $500 a year or less for any employee who wants it," Colin Van Ostern, chief marketing officer of College for America told The Boston Globe. "I'm not sure there is any precedent for that."