The Walt Disney Corporation has just announced that it will now be offering free tuition to all of their hourly part-time and full-time workers in the United States.
Their program, which will be available to 80,000 employees nationwide starting in the fall, will help staffers pursue their high school diplomas, college degrees, or trade certifications for free.
“The Walt Disney Company will cover 100 percent of tuition upfront and will also reimburse application fees and required books and materials, removing the worry of paying to start or continue school,” Jayne Parker, Disney’s chief HR officer, said in a blog post.
The corporation says that they will be spending $50 million as an initial investment for the “Disney Aspire” education program and $25 million in annual spending afterwards.
“If there is anything our founder, Walt Disney, taught us, it’s that unrelenting curiosity and inquisitiveness can transform into magic… and it’s the magic that stems from his dream that our thousands of cast members carry out each and every day,” says a Disney spokesperson. “And now it’s our turn to make their dreams come true.”
The courses will be offered through Disney’s partnership with Guild Education, the organization that also provides education for Walmart, Lowe’s, and Taco Bell employees.