Study.com's Working Scholars® graduates third class saving students $16M in tuition

Program has shown to lead to promotions, salary gains, and increased confidence for working adults

News provided by

Dec 06, 2021, 13:09 ET

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Dec. 6, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Study.com is honored to announce the 2021 Working Scholars® graduating class. The Working Scholars program, developed and launched by Study.com, enables non-traditional students to earn a bachelor's degree at no cost. The Working Scholars program provides both immediate and long-term impact with participants earning their degree without taking on the burden of student loans, and over a quarter of them attributing significant wage increases to the program. The skills and knowledge acquired through the Working Scholars program benefits students' current jobs and long-term career goals, and the participation enriches participants' perspectives and confidence.

Working Scholars increases students' confidence in their job, improves engagement within their organization, and most importantly, empowers them to make a positive contribution to their community, and society, at large.

"The program has impacted me in a number of ways, I got a raise at work, but the main thing is it has given me a different kind of confidence," said Sandra Sanchez, member of the 2021 Working Scholars graduating class. "I walk taller and stand straighter, knowing what I accomplished in the Working Scholars program."

The majority of the graduates are the first-generation in their family to receive a college degree, and the majority are working full time, earning their degree through mobile means. Over half are parents, and 80 percent have previously taken college courses. Additionally:

27 percent report that salary increased since they enrolled in the program, with the average increase being over $ 4,000 a year.
3 out of 4 scholars say their skills & knowledge for their current job has increased
More than 40 percent plan to go on to get a Master's degree or higher.
70 percent report more confidence in their current job.

" The majority of Working Scholar graduates are first gen students and removing barriers of cost and time and making a college degree accessible through Working Scholars has been one of our greatest sources of pride," said Dana Bryson, SVP of Social Impact at Study.com. "The Working Scholars program changes lives. The program increases students' confidence in their job, improves engagement within their organization, and most importantly, empowers them to make a positive contribution to their community, and society, at large."

The Working Scholars program has both a for-profit subscription model, funded by corporations as a benefit for their workforce and a non-profit, funded through philanthropic contributions. Students in the Working Scholars program complete college credit-recommended courses on Study.com and then transfer the credits to one of the program's partner graduating universities, all four-year regionally accredited universities. The 2021 graduates completed the final degree requirements at Thomas Edison State University (TESU) and earned their degree from the university. As part of the program, Study.com provides academic advisors, degree mapping, transfer assistance, and success counseling. To date, 500 students have gone through the Working Scholar program and over 100 have graduated.

The Working Scholars graduates were honored in a virtual ceremony on December 2, 2021. Graduation speakers included Dr. Cynthia Baum, VP of Academic Affairs and Provost from TESU, Civil rights activist Dolores Huerta, and ex-NFL player Shawn Harper. Silicon Valley Bank and Margos Foundation graciously sponsored the ceremony.

About Study.com

Study.com is a leading online education platform providing academic support for learners and educators. Study.com's online courses, short, animated video lessons, and study tools simplify learning for over 30 million students, teachers, and working professionals. Study has donated $23m in-kind value across social impact programs committed to Making Education Accessible through our Pledge 1% partnerships and programs focused on increasing access and equity in education for underserved learners, non-traditional students, and educators.

Working Scholars survey data was conducted by Trifecta Research in May 2021 via email to 429 Working Scholar participants.

SOURCE Study.com