Today, Starbucks unveiled a massive expansion to its program granting free college educations to part- and full-time U.S. employees. Called the College Achievement Plan, the $200 million initiative allows employees who don’t have a degree to earn one through Arizona State University’s online coursework.
In a wide-ranging discussion from Starbucks’ offices overlooking the Seattle skyline, CEO Howard Schultz said he expects to see 25,000 employees earn their degrees —for many, they will be the first in their family to do so — through CAP in the next 10 years. And that’s being conservative. “We have a long history of under-promising and over-delivering,” he says. “We think we'll do the same there."
