Now your car salesman can be just as educated as your barista.
On Monday, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles announced that all 118,000 U.S. dealership employees at its U.S. dealerships will get the opportunity for free college tuition.
The move mirrors an announcement made by Starbucks last month and is aimed at attracting and retaining workers.
The degrees will be offered as a benefit at no-cost to employees, including books and other expenses, at the 2,400 Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram and Fiat dealerships through Strayer University, a private for-profit institution whose entire bachelor degree program can be finished online.
To participate, the employee’s dealership will have to pay a flat fee to Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. A bachelor’s at Strayer usually runs $42,000.
“Dealers tell us that education is a benefit frequently requested by their employees,” said Al Gardner, CEO of Chrysler Brand, FCA US, in a statement. “With the increasing cost of a college education, offering free college degrees without the burden of debt presents a significant value that we are pleased to provide and that differentiates us from our competitors. It will certainly help us attract and retain strong talent.”
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