Amazon employees hoping to earn a college degree can now pursue their educational goals at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs tuition-free.
UCCS has been selected as an education partner for Amazon’s Career Choice program, which offers full tuition support for hourly Amazon employees who are starting or continuing a degree. For as long as they are employed at Amazon, employees can pursue bachelor’s degrees and undergraduate credit-bearing certificates at UCCS, which offers fully in-person, fully-online and hybrid academic options.
“We are honored to partner with Amazon on their Career Choice program,” said Kelli Klebe, Interim Provost of UCCS. “At UCCS, access and affordability are at the heart of our mission, and we are committed to making an education possible for all those who want to pursue it. This partnership demonstrates UCCS’ commitment to working with our community businesses and organizations to meet educational and workforce needs.”
In July 2021, Amazon opened a 640,000 square foot fulfillment center in Colorado Springs, which employs thousands of Colorado Springs-based employees in addition to more than 20,000 statewide. Now, UCCS is one of the only comprehensive four-year institutions in the state of Colorado participating in Amazon’s Career Choice program.
“We’re looking forward to UCCS coming on board as an education partner for Career Choice, adding to the hundreds of best-in-class offerings available to our employees,” said Tammy Thiemann, Global Program Lead of Amazon’s Career Choice program. “We’re committed to empowering our employees by providing them access to the education and training they need to grow their careers, whether that’s with us or elsewhere. We have intentionally cultivated a partner network of third-party educators and employers committed to providing excellent education, job placement resources and continuous improvements to the experience. Today, over 50,000 Amazon employees around the world have already participated in Career Choice, and we’ve seen first-hand how it can transform their lives.”
Under the Amazon Career Choice program, hourly Amazon employees who have been with the company for 90 days can apply to any institution within the Career Choice network and receive financial support to cover full tuition — with no lifetime limit. The program’s goal is to help employees grow their skillset so they can move into higher-paying, in-demand jobs at Amazon or elsewhere.
The Career Choice program has a rigorous selection process for third-party partner educators, choosing partners that are focused on helping employees through their education programs, assisting them with job placements and offering education that leads to career success.
Learn how to apply for Amazon Career Choice tuition assistance at UCCS. Find more information on Amazon’s Career Choice program online.
About the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS)
The University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS) offers 55 bachelor’s, 24 master’s and eight doctoral degree programs and enrolls about 12,000 students annually. Located in the heart of Colorado Springs, UCCS has a strong student focus and access mission, with a goal of transforming lives for the better. Learn more about UCCS at uccs.edu.
About the University of Colorado
The University of Colorado is a premier public research university with four campuses: the University of Colorado Boulder, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, the University of Colorado Denver and the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. With more than 67,000 students and over 8,400 instructional faculty members, CU is the largest institution of higher education in the state of Colorado. Learn more about CU online.