Starbucks Scholarships and Nanodegrees
Starbucks got a lot of attention this past week for their new scholarship partnership with Arizona State University. More details have come out about the limits of the financial contribution Starbucks is making and what discount ASU Online is providing.
ASU is joining with Starbucks to offer an extraordinary new program, called the Starbucks College Acheivement Plan (CAP), to all of their full- and part-time partners of every brand, who are employed within the United States, the chance to finish a bachelor’s degree with full tuition coverage through ASU’s top-ranked degree program, delivered online.
It sounds like a good thing for Starbucks employees, but I think the real story is that this is a fully online program. Participating CAP students will be offered the same curricula as ASU online students, which is the same content taught on campus by the same faculty.
Obviously, using one school online is simpler than allowing students to pick local colleges or connecting with community colleges in every state. But we know that online learning is not a good fit for every student. I wonder if Starbucks or ASU is planning on any screening or prior assessments for students to see if online work is a good fit?
Udacity, the MOOC provider, has worked with industry partners to produce courses. They have announced that a partnerships with AT&T, and an initial funding from AT&T Aspire of more than $1.5 million, launched nanodegrees. Those are compact, flexible, and job-focused credentials that are stackable throughout a career. Students in a nanodegree program select hands-on courses by industry, a capstone project, and career guidance. You can get a nanodegree and earn new ones throughout your career.
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