SomeChick-fil-A employeesare graduating from college free of debt due to a unique program. Thanks to a partnership among three entities — independent Chick-fil-A operators, Point University and Ficus Education — 177 Chick-fil-A employees were able to graduate this year while working at locations across the country, restaurant industry websiteQSR reported. Over 70 of the Chick-fil-A employees participated in a recent graduation ceremony at Point University, a private Christian institution in Georgia. Chick-fil-a Food And Employees Helped Man Lose Weight And Change His Life In attendance were more than a dozen Chick-fil-A operators. "This all began in 2023 with one operator's and one university's vision: to give his team the opportunity to earn a college degree without student debt," Doug Danowski, president of Ficus Education in Georgia, told Fox News Digital. Read On The Fox News App "That single decision sparked a movement." The Ficus Education employer-sponsored partnership allows employees at independently operatedChick-fil-A restaurantsto complete their degrees online through Point University without having to pay out-of-pocket tuition or take out student loans. Chick-fil-a Employees Fulfill Texas Couple's All-american Dream: 'Bucket List' "What started as one operator's desire to invest in his team has grown into a national movement: hundreds of degrees earned, over an estimated $11 million in student debt avoided and real business impact," Danowski said. Select Chick-fil-A franchise operators pay their employees' tuition as an incentive to recruit and retain workers. For more Lifestyle articles, visit www.foxnews.com/lifestyle "It's a partnership built around one question: How can we help operators recruit, develop and retain their people, and strengthen their restaurants?" Danowski said. More than 500 independent Chick-fil-A operators have participated in the program since its inception, Danowski said. Ficus Educationhosted a hospitality suite for independent operators, their graduates and special guests immediately before the commencement ceremony. Click Here To Sign Up For Our Lifestyle Newsletter "Through Point [University] and through the partnership with Ficus [Education], we've been able to create this day when Chick-fil-A team members are going to walk across the stage and get their four-year degree or their master's degree, which is going to bring themforward in their careers," André Kennebrew, chair of the board of trustees at Point University and a former Chick-fil-A development program leader, told attendees in remarks shared with Fox News Digital. The federal education debt now exceeds $1.6 trillion, according to the U.S. Department of Education. As the Office of Federal Student Aid recently announced it has resumed collections of defaulted student loans, the 177 Chick-fil-A graduates collectively avoided more than $6 million in debt, according to QSR. The program makes it possible for employees to progress in their careers at Chick-fil-A, some with dreams of opening their own franchise, "or go somewhere else andbe a doctoror a lawyer or whatever," Kennebrew said. "This is worth continuing," Kennebrew said of the program. "This is worth growing." Original article source:Hundreds of Chick-fil-A workers are earning their college degrees without student debt
