— New Partnerships with, City University of New York School of
Professional Studies, Louisiana State University Shreveport, Thomas
Edison State University, University of Maryland University College and
Western Governors University Offer Crewmembers Opportunities to Earn
Advanced Degrees at Affordable Rates —
NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–JetBlue (NASDAQ: JBLU) today announced plans to expand its JetBlue
Scholars program to include pathways for crewmembers to earn master’s
degrees at discounted and affordable rates. The current program provides
access to online courses and personalized coaching for crewmembers
pursuing undergraduate degrees from Thomas Edison State University, with
JetBlue covering most of the costs. The addition of the Master’s
Pathways and new partnerships will allow crewmembers to pursue master’s
degrees through five regionally accredited institutions including City
University of New York School of Professional Studies, Louisiana State
University Shreveport, Thomas Edison State University, University of
Maryland University College and Western Governors University.
Consistent with the airline’s mission of inspiring humanity, JetBlue
Scholars adds a more human touch into the higher education process by
easing complexity and financial burdens for crewmembers. The new JetBlue
Scholars Master’s Pathways institution partners were selected based on
their online graduate program offerings and commitment to expanding
access to higher education, as well as affordability and quality of
support available to students. These partnerships also add more
flexibility in fields of study, price points and pace of learning,
offering something for everyone who would like access to graduate level
courses.
Since launching JetBlue Scholars in 2016, the top question from
crewmembers has been about master’s degree opportunities. The evolution
of the program comes as a direct response to crewmember requests for
additional options at a significantly lower cost. Through the new
Master’s Pathways, crewmembers will be able to earn advanced degrees in
leadership, business management, information technology, aviation
management or liberal arts. Each institution has its own admissions
requirements and will offer specialized support to help guide
crewmembers through the admissions and academic process. To apply,
crewmembers must already have a regionally accredited bachelor’s degree.
“JetBlue Scholars was inspired by our crewmembers and we’re continuing
to evolve the program based on their feedback,” said Rachel McCarthy,
head of talent and learning at JetBlue. “Our partner institutions share
similar values with JetBlue and together we’re removing some of the
complexity from the process. The online format allows flexibility, and
low costs combined with specialized support is a great combination for
our Scholars to earn advanced degrees at their own pace. These new
Master’s Pathways will open up even more opportunities for crewmembers.”
The JetBlue Scholars Master’s Pathways will offer a variety of benefits
including potential tuition discounts and scholarships and access to
specialized support services. JetBlue crewmembers will receive
affordable rates with total costs averaging $13,000 – $30,000. For
comparison, most other master’s programs costs are estimated at $30,000
– $120,000.
The current JetBlue Scholars program for undergraduate degrees has
already proven to be successful. In year one, 50 crewmembers received
their degrees from Thomas Edison State University, and to date more than
185 undergraduate degrees have been conferred. The undergraduate pathway
goes well beyond standard tuition reimbursement. JetBlue Scholars
provides access to alternative college credit options, innovative
learning platforms, online courses and internal Success Coaches to help
guide crewmembers throughout the journey. The Master’s Pathways are a
natural extension of this type of programming designed around adult
learners and their unique needs.
The History of JetBlue Scholars – JetBlue Scholars takes an
unconventional approach to employer-sponsored education. JetBlue
recognized the dilemma faced by many of its own crewmembers who were
trying to return to higher education and charted a new, low-cost path to
make college affordable again. Through an innovative partnership model,
JetBlue unbundled the higher education system, step-by-step, to make it
easier for crewmembers who have some previous college credits but did
not know how to move forward to complete their degrees.
The JetBlue Scholars undergraduate pathway provides a clearer path and
converts aviation and military training and other professional
certificates into college credit, helping to reduce the time and cost
for crewmembers to complete their undergraduate degrees. The program
also utilizes high quality alternative college credit options, including
new technology-based learning platforms like Study.com,
Sophia.org
and StraighterLine.com.
JetBlue Scholars by the Numbers
- 1,000+ crewmembers (employees) have participated in the program
- 700+ crewmembers currently enrolled
-
185+ degrees earned to date, with more on their way by the end of the
year -
5,000+ classes completed from alternative credit course providers
including StraighterLine, Sophia, Study.com, and internally developed
and ACE-reviewed courses - 93 percent average course completion rate
- 16 months: average time to complete a bachelor’s degree
The portrait of the traditional college student is changing. Many
full-time employees are looking to complete their degrees while still
maintaining full-time jobs. Non-traditional students are now the norm.
More than 31 million Americans have some college education and no
degree. Low cost, high-quality “a la carte” options like JetBlue
Scholars are making college more accessible and affordable. JetBlue
Scholars has proven to be a valuable retention and development tool,
leading to increased crewmember engagement and loyalty and resulting in
a greater return on investment for JetBlue. For more information, visit www.jetbluescholars.com.
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 42 million customers a year to
100+ cities in the U.S., Caribbean, and Latin America with an average of
more than 1,000 daily flights. For more information please visit jetblue.com.
Contacts
JetBlue Corporate Communications
Tel: +1 718 709 3089
[email protected]
