BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--New Balance Athletics, Inc., the Boston-based global athletic leader, today announced an agreement with Purdue University Global that provides a new tuition benefit program for its associates in the United States.
New Balance is investing in its employees by providing a benefit that offers a tuition-free path to a college degree. Some degree programs are offered at no cost to the individual. Through this program, Purdue Global is the preferred online university option for eligible employees. A public, nonprofit online institution of higher education, Purdue Global offers associate’s, bachelor’s and master’s degree programs, including business, information technology, cybersecurity, accounting and finance.
“New Balance is delighted to join with Purdue Global to bring this incredible educational opportunity to our associates,” said Erin Bentz, the company’s director of global talent. “We believe our associates will greatly appreciate the opportunity to secure a degree from such a prestigious university at no cost to them and from the convenience of their own homes. This will be perceived as a tremendous benefit.”
Many New Balance associates work at its five manufacturing facilities in New England and at its more than 90 company-owned retail outlets. The benefit includes paid tuition, waived application fees and even covers the cost of course textbooks and materials for undergraduate degrees.
Facilitated by Kaplan Higher Education as part of its operational support role, Purdue Global recently has formed partnerships to provide employee educational benefits with several companies.
“We’re proud to collaborate with an industry leader such as New Balance to expand educational opportunities for many more working adults,” said Dr. Betty Vandenbosch, chancellor of Purdue University Global. “We’re confident in our ability to provide an excellent student experience for employees and to support them in their journey to professional growth.”
Vandenbosch said Purdue Global is well-positioned to help employers of all sizes create education benefit programs to accommodate employees’ busy schedules. The programs are built on real-world requirements, enabling adult students to learn at their own pace and in many cases receive college credits for previous work experience.
About New Balance
New Balance, headquartered in Boston, MA, has the following mission: Demonstrating responsible leadership, we build global brands that athletes are proud to wear, associates are proud to create and communities are proud to host. Manufactured in the U.S. for over 75 years and representing a limited portion of our U.S. sales, New Balance Made U.S. is a premium collection that contains a domestic value of 70% or greater. New Balance owns five factories in New England and one in Flimby, U.K. New Balance employs more than 8,000 associates around the globe, and in 2018 reported worldwide sales of $4.1 billion. To learn more about New Balance, please visit https://www.newbalance.com/ and for the latest press information please visit https://newbalance.newsmarket.com.
About Purdue University Global
Purdue University Global is the extreme personalization online university, providing students the competitive edge to advance in their chosen careers. It offers a hyper-tailored path for students to earn an associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree, based on their work experience, desired pace, military service, previous college credits and other considerations — no matter where they are in their life journey.
Purdue Global serves approximately 29,000 students, most of whom earn their degree online. It also operates several regional locations nationwide. Purdue Global is a nonprofit, public university accredited by The Higher Learning Commission. It is affiliated with Purdue University's flagship institution, a highly ranked public research university located in West Lafayette, Indiana. Purdue University also operates two regional campuses in Fort Wayne and Northwest, Indiana, as well as serving close to 6,000 science, engineering and technology students at the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) campus.
For more information, please visit www.PurdueGlobal.edu.