星巴克新福利：报销大学学费

    星巴克公司（Starbucks）正在为员工提供的一项全新的福利：全额报销完成学士学位课程所需的学费。

    星巴克于周一宣布，它正在与亚利桑那州立大学（Arizona State University）展开合作，为所有美国兼职和全职员工提供报销大学本科教育阶段大三和大四学费的机会。

    这项所谓的星巴克大学成就计划（Starbucks College Achievement Plan）旨在缩小职员在大学教育上的差距。据美国教育部（to the U.S. Department of Education）的相关数据显示，目前有将近50%的美国大学生无法完成学业。

    “毫无疑问，（美国）国内的不平等状况已经形成了很多美国人都被甩在后面的不利局面，”星巴克公司首席执行官霍华德•舒尔茨在一份声明中表示。“在平衡工作、学业和个人生活的同时，所有努力工作的公司员工都应该拥有完成大学学业的机会。”

    这项计划也为大一和大二的学生员工提供了部分学费奖学金和按需助学金，以及帮助其平衡工作和生活需求的其它资源。星巴克还将为半工半读的学生提供专门的入学指导员、助学金顾问和学业导师，保障他们顺利毕业。

    星巴克旗下的所有品牌店——包括Teavana、La Boulange、Evolution Fresh和Seattle’s Best Coffee品牌店——中每周平均工作20个小时的美国员工，都有资格任选亚利桑那州立大学的40多门本科学位课程。

    受益于这项计划的星巴克员工无需恪守毕业之后继续留守的承诺。

    星巴克公司和亚利桑那州立大学之间的这个联盟脱胎于舒尔茨和这所大学的校长迈克尔•克劳博士对于迈克尔经济未来倡议项目（Markle Economic Future Initiative）的参与。这个项目致力于拓展帮助美国人在当下全球化和数字化经济浪潮中获得成功的机遇。

    “财政资源的支持使得人们参与在线学习成为了可能，星巴克的大学成就计划则是在线学习应用上的一次突破，”迈克尔经济未来倡议计划的总裁佐伊•贝尔德说。“美国迫切需要可以帮助人们成功过渡到当前经济现实的领袖。”（财富中文网）

    译者：徐黄兆

    Starbucks is offering its employees a brand new perk: full tuition reimbursement to complete a bachelor’s degree.

    The coffee company is partnering with Arizona State University to provide all part- and full-time U.S. workers with the opportunity to receive reimbursement on tuition expenses for their junior and senior years of undergraduate education, Starbucks announced Monday.

    The Starbucks College Achievement Plan is an effort to close the gap in college achievement. Nearly 50% of college students in the U.S. today fail to complete their degree, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

    “There’s no doubt, the inequality within the country has created a situation where many Americans are being left behind,” Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks, said in a statement. “Everyone who works as hard as our partners do should have the opportunity to complete college, while balancing work, school and their personal lives.”

    The plan also offers freshmen and sophomores partial tuition scholarships and need-based financial aid, as well as resources to help employees balance their work-life needs. Starbucks will provide working students with a dedicated enrollment coach, financial aid counselor and academic advisor to support them through graduation.

    All U.S. employees working an average of 20 hours per week at any company-operated store — including Teavana, La Boulange, Evolution Fresh and Seattle’s Best Coffee stores –are eligible to choose from more than 40 undergraduate degree programs at ASU, and they will earn full tuition reimbursement for each semester of full-time coursework completed.

    Any worker that takes advantage of the program has no commitment to remain at the company past graduation.

    The alliance grew out of Schultz’s and ASU president Dr. Michael Crow’s participation in the Markle Economic Future Initiative, a program committed to expanding opportunities that help Americans succeed in today’s global and digital economy.

    “This is a break-through in using online learning backed by the financial resources that make it possible to participate,” Zoë Baird, president of Markle, said. “America urgently needs leadership to help people successfully transition to today’s economic realities.”