Tuition partnerships make online MBA more accessible

By Sue McMurray, Carson College of Business

PULLMAN, Wash. – Two new tuition assistance programs with Chick-fil-A, headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., and Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, based in Pullman, are making the Washington State University online MBA degree programs more affordable for the companies’ team members and their families.

As part of Chick-fil-A’s Remarkable Futures initiative, the WSU Carson College of Business will waive the $75 application fee and offer 10 percent in tuition assistance to the company’s team members who wish to pursue their online MBA or executive MBA.

“Collaborations like this help to underscore WSU’s commitment to increasing the availability and reach of our world-class education, benefiting many students working toward an MBA or EMBA,” said Cheryl Oliver, assistant dean for online and graduate programs. “We’re thrilled about the opportunity to partner with an organization as dedicated to higher education as Chick-fil-A.”

In late 2016, WSU and the Carson College partnered with SEL to offer its employees and their spouses 10 percent in tuition assistance and a waived application fee.

Applicants from both companies must meet the online MBA or EMBA program admissions requirements. Any employee or spouse enrolled in one of WSU’s online business programs can begin using the tuition assistance immediately.

“Collaborating with Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories and other organizations willing to support skill development is exciting,” said Chip Hunter, Carson College dean. “These partnerships reflect what it means to be a model for public business education – our mission is to make our degrees accessible to those willing and able to earn them. By extending eligibility to spouses of employees, we’ll provide business education to an even greater number of motivated students.”