Beginning in 2011 Starbucks offered a tuition reimbursement program for its employees who attended either City University of Seattle or Strayer University. Students/employees could receive up to $1,000 per year to help pay their tuition. The perk is a rarity among low-paying jobs. So far Starbucks has paid out about $6.5 million to their workers enrolled in this program.

Now Starbucks is phasing out the tuition reimbursement program in favor of a program in conjunction with Arizona State University to help their employees earn degrees on-line. Starbucks says there is not requirement for employees to stay at Starbucks after they graduate, and they can choose from a large selection of subjects to study, not just those subjects related to their employment.

It is not known at this time about how many employees will take Starbucks up on this offer. Neither is it known the financial deal the company made with the University. What is known is that an on-line degree from Arizona State costs about the same as the regular degree program, about $10,000 per year.