North Carolina Central University is partnering with Amazon to offer undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees to the company's hourly employees for free. The university was selected as an education partner for Amazon’s Career Choice Program.
The program will provide Amazon employees with benefits, like paying for 100% of their college tuition, fees, and books. NCCU’s Director of Undergraduate Admissions Michael Bailey said there are over 5,000 eligible employees in the state that can now apply.
“All you have to do is be an eligible employee with Amazon,” he said. “After a 90-day probationary period, you would qualify immediately for the program.”
Once an employee is part of the Amazon Career Choice Program, they are also required to meet minimum admissions requirements for NCCU. Amazon officials told the university to expect approximately 25 students in the first batch of enrollment.
Although tuition for the degree programs is covered, there are some things the Amazon program does not cover.
“The only programs that they will not cover that we've been told are the certificate programs,'' Bailey said.
For example, a GED would not qualify under the program.
Bailey said NCCU is the first historically Black college or university and four-year institution to become an education partner with Amazon in the state. Wake Technical Community College is also partnering with Amazon to offer this program.
