St. Louis Community College has forged a formal education partnership with McDonald’s of St. Louis and the Metro East to help food service employees further their education.
Area McDonald’s employees may take on-campus and online courses at the same cost as in-district students ($106/credit hour); receive a $500 book scholarship; and work with an academic advisor trained specifically to assist them.
Eligible employees must have worked at McDonald’s for at least nine months for 20 hours per week.
The partnership is part of McDonald’s “Archways to Opportunity” workforce education program. In this program, crew members will receive $700 per year in tuition assistance and managers will receive $1,050 a year. Certified swing managers, department managers and general managers will receive $5,250 a year.
Since the average cost of a community college class is about $350, McDonald’s will cover the cost of two classes a year for eligible crew and three classes a year for eligible managers.
Previously, employees returning to work seasonally, such as students working each summer, were not eligible for tuition assistance because their three-month employment did not roll into the next calendar year. Now, returning employees who work a collective nine months in a McDonald’s restaurant have an opportunity to receive tuition assistance for college or high school. This allows seasonal employees to qualify for tuition assistance, including students who work the summer during high school.
To receive college tuition assistance, employees must submit a request and upon approval, they receive a check for tuition funds made out to their school. This allows them to register for classes and receive funds from McDonald’s before their tuition bills are due.
Since April 2015, McDonald’s has provided approximately $5.4 million in tuition assistance for eligible employees to obtain their high school and college degrees.
“Archways to Opportunity strengthens talent, enhances opportunities for crew, and brings improvements to our restaurants,” said Colleen Schoendienst, an area McDonald’s owner. “Thanks to our partnership with St. Louis Community College, we look forward to helping people and improving our customer experience.”
Nearly 90 percent of McDonald’s 160 St. Louis restaurants are independently owned and operated by local businessmen and women. For information, visit www.mcdonaldsSTL.com or follow us them Twitter at @McDSTL.
