Dive Brief:
- Some corporations and businesses are putting higher emphasis on degree quality with more selectivity in tuition assistance programs
- JetBlue and Starbucks are two companies on a growing list of employers that have created continuing education programs with specific institutions to more effectively monitor quality assurance.
- Corporations nationwide spend about $22 billion annually in tuition assistance benefits for employees.
Dive Insight:
Employers may not want to be part of a discussion on the rigor and value of institutions, but with the Department of Education putting more emphasis on institutions fostering job placement outcomes and skill development, businesses may become pseudo-accrediting agencies.
Companies fostering exclusive relationships with colleges and universities create the professional pipeline which the DOE will use in its metrics to measure institutional effectiveness, along with earnings and student loan repayment data. Forming partnerships with corporations to help employees to earn additional credentials and greater earning potential not only buffers the school from negative, ambiguous federal data publishing, but lays the foundation for research and philanthropic partnerships as well.