JetBlue Celebrates First Graduates of Its Employer-Sponsored College Degree Program
September 16 2016 - 3:02PM
Business Wire
Focusing on the Needs of “Non-Traditional”
Students, JetBlue Scholars Partners with Online Course Providers
and Thomas Edison State University to Help Crewmembers Earn
Low-Cost, Fully-Accredited College Degrees
JetBlue (NASDAQ:JBLU) recently celebrated the first graduates of
its JetBlue Scholars program. JetBlue Scholars offers the airline’s
crewmembers the opportunity to earn a fully-accredited associate or
bachelor’s degree with JetBlue covering most of the cost. The
program features high-quality online courses at a fraction of the
cost of traditional college. This year, 50 crewmembers will earn a
college degree through the newly-launched program.
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JetBlue's Chief Executive Officer and
President, Robin Hayes congratulates the first graduates of
JetBlue's employer-sponsored college degree program - JetBlue
Scholars. (Photo: Business Wire)
Through JetBlue Scholars, the airline is making the process of
earning a college degree more inclusive and accessible than ever.
With college costs at an all-time high, the average student
graduates $33,000 in debt, according to a government data analysis
by financial aid experts, Edvisors. And, more than 31 million
Americans have some college education and no degree. JetBlue
recognized this dilemma faced by many of its own crewmembers and
charted a new, low-cost, high-quality path to make college
affordable again.
“JetBlue Scholars is proof that unbundling the higher education
process works. In our first year, 50 students will complete their
college degrees,” said Bonny Simi, founder of JetBlue Scholars and
president of JetBlue Technology Ventures. “Many started college
years ago but couldn’t afford to finish. There are pilots,
reservation agents, flight attendants, mechanics and administrative
staff participating in the program. The average Scholar is 42 and
has been out of the classroom for over 20 years. They have
tremendous work experience, but no degree.”
JetBlue Scholars utilizes low cost, high quality alternative
college credit options including new technology-based learning
platforms like Study.com, Sophia.org and StraighterLine.com. These
courses are accepted for college credit at partner school -Thomas
Edison State University, and are a fraction of the cost of
traditional college classes.
“Thomas Edison State University’s mission and core work aligns
so well with the JetBlue Scholars program, especially our ability
to assess college-level knowledge that has been acquired outside
the traditional classroom,” said Dr. Mary Ellen Caro, vice
president of Enrollment Management and Learner Services at Thomas
Edison State University. “It is an honor to partner with JetBlue to
help its crewmembers achieve their goals, and we are very proud of
the progress that so many crewmembers have made to earn their
degrees.”
JetBlue covers the full cost of the degree up to the final
semester, and even that cost may be covered by JetBlue scholarships
or Pell grants, which mean a degree may be completely free for
those in financial need.
“Some scholars just need a few classes to graduate and others
need up to 100 credits or 3.5 years to finish. We provide courses
for free, with no upfront cost to crewmembers. We’re making it
possible for them to get college credit for their professional
credentials and work experience and providing access to online
approved courses from our partners to fill in the rest,” said
Simi.
This program gives crewmembers the flexibility to learn at their
own pace. The program offers step-by-step support to make it easier
for crewmembers that have some previous college credit but do not
know how to move forward to complete their degree. JetBlue’s goal
is to make higher education more inclusive and affordable so that
any crewmember who wants a college degree is able to earn one.
The growing need for employees with more advanced skills,
demands that corporations find a way to upskill the American
workforce. Typical grant and employer tuition reimbursement
programs do not always cover alternative credit options, and
require students to pay upfront and get reimbursed later, which
many cannot afford to do. Therefore, corporate-driven education
initiatives must take into consideration the unique needs of
today’s non-traditional students.
How it Works
Once enrolled in JetBlue Scholars, crewmembers are assigned a
Success Coach and share their education background, including
transcripts from previous coursework, copies of licenses or
certifications held, records from past military, police or fire
training and any other experiences or documentation that
demonstrates past college-level learning. Many crewmembers already
hold special licenses or professional certifications from the
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Much of this is worth
college credit. The crewmember then takes online courses as guided
by their coach.
Once crewmembers have earned 114-117 credits, they enroll for
the final semester online with JetBlue’s launch partner Thomas
Edison State University. When 120 credits are reached, the
bachelor’s degree from Thomas Edison State University is conferred.
Scholars are able to obtain degrees in aviation, liberal studies or
business through JetBlue Scholars.
JetBlue Scholars has proven to be a valuable retention and
development tool, leading to increased crewmember engagement and
loyalty, resulting in a greater return on investment for JetBlue.
For more information, visit www.jetbluescholars.com.
Graduates Speak Up on Receiving Their Degrees:
- “It’s been more than 25 years. I want
to finish what I started. Once my transcripts were evaluated, I was
surprised to see how close I was to getting my bachelor’s
degree.”Roxanne Hawkins is a dispatcher at JetBlue and received
her Bachelors of Arts, Liberal Studies degree
- “It was so satisfying to engage and
complete a Bachelor’s. It was a bit challenging, but with the push
and support from my manager, it was easy to succeed. Next is law
school.”Jorge Deolarte is a senior analyst in flight standards
at JetBlue and received his Bachelor of Science in Applied Science
and Technology - Aviation Maintenance Technology degree.
- “I started college right after high
school, but once my son came along, I put college on hold. This
sets a good example for my son. If he sees me going through
college, it’s a big motivator for him. It shows him how important
it is to have a degree.”Yeniett Elswood is a talent management
analyst at JetBlue and received her Associate in Arts
degree
About JetBlue
JetBlue is New York's Hometown Airline® and a leading carrier in
Boston, Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood, Los Angeles (Long Beach),
Orlando and San Juan. JetBlue carries more than 32 million
customers a year to 97 cities in the U.S., Caribbean, and Latin
America with an average of 925 daily flights. For more information,
please visit JetBlue.com.
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