More than 20,000 Kroger employees in Ohio are now eligible for tuition discounts at Mount Vernon Nazarene University's School of Graduate and Professional Studies under an expanded partnership between the university and the grocery store chain.
In addition to the tuition discounts, Kroger provides associates up to $3,500 a year for continuing-education courses up to a total of $21,000 while employed, the company said in a news release.
"We believe that making education benefits available to associates is the best way to support their future," Heather Gray, Kroger's Columbus Division manager of human resources, said.
The partnership with Kroger started four years ago but only included the Mount Vernon store; Ryan Stagg, director of Outreach and Strategic Partnerships for MVNU, told the Mount Vernon News.
"Our goal is to help adult learners invest in themselves by going back to school, by continuing to work on their degree," Stagg said. He noted that his first job in high school was as a cashier at Kroger.
From the one store in Mount Vernon, MVNU's partnership has now expanded to 116 stores in Kroger's Columbus Division, Stagg said.
The School of Graduate and Professional Studies offers associate-, bachelor's- and master's-level programs online, Stagg continued.
He added that the discounts do not apply to on-campus residential programs at MVNU.
"Our format is set up for the adult learner," Stagg told the News. "Our students take classes one at a time, from six to eight weeks in length. That really helps them stay focused."
Additionally, the tuition is affordable, particularly with the discounts and employer tuition assistance.
"With their tuition assistance, most people can pay cash," he said. "It sets people up to be well on their way toward a debt-free education."
MVNU is a private, four-year Christian university with a 327-acre campus in Mount Vernon.
"We see the need for quality, affordable education," Stagg said. "Part of our growth strategy is becoming a partner to corporations and other organizations."
