Ivy Tech, McDonald's join forces to help employees earn degrees faster

If you want to go to college but have been concerned about how you’re going to pay for it, working at McDonald’s may help.

Ivy Tech and McDonald’s announced a partnership on Thursday to make college more affordable for those attending.

McDonald’s will give crew members up to $2,500 a year in tuition assistance. It helps make college more affordable, and through on-the-job training, employees can earn their degree more quickly.

“I sort of took a year off after high school,” said Delza Pena Torres, McDonald's crew member, “and then I decided I wanted to try and be more independent. I had a lot of fear about going into college and the money and everything.”

Torres has worked at McDonald’s for a while and is receiving $2,500 a year to attend Ivy Tech.

Ivy Tech typically costs around $5,000 a year. This partnership allows McDonalds employees to earn some credits while on the job.

“Thinking about the fact that you can earn college credit while you’re going to school and working at McDonald’s part-time, it’s just a tremendous opportunity that will have a huge impact on the workforce here in Indiana,” said David Balkin, Chancellor of the South Bend-Elkhart Ivy Tech Campus.

Employees have to work 15 hours a week to qualify for the assistance -- but for the ones that take advantage of it, it has a big impact.

“That’s a lot of money for them,” said Lisa Reiser, owner of McDonald’s. “$2,500 for a crew, and $3,000 for a manager. Makes a big difference.”

Delza says she plans to get a job in informatics once she graduates, but for now, she’s thankful for the opportunity this position offers her.

“I’m really lucky,” said Torres. “I have a lot of friends too who are already thousands of dollars in debt. I kind of want to tell them to come over and work at McDonalds and get that help too. It would be a lot less stressful to them I think."

There are more than 300 McDonald’s and 18 Ivy Tech campuses across Indiana. Employees who take part in this program are allowed to pursue any degree they are interested in.

Another interesting note? Ivy Tech's chancellor worked at McDonald's when he was in high school.