TESU, JetBlue ramp up employee education partnership

Thomas Edison State University has elevated its partnership with JetBlue Airways, enabling JetBlue employees to earn master’s degrees at discounted prices through the JetBlue Scholars program.

The Trenton-based college, the state’s only public university focused on nontraditional adult students, established the JetBlue Scholars program with the airline in 2016. It enabled JetBlue employees to pursue undergraduate degrees, with the airline covering much of the cost. With the new agreement, JetBlue Scholars can pursue master’s degrees in fields such as leadership, business management, information technology, aviation management and liberal arts.

“Many of our nontraditional students complete their degree while working full-time,” TESU President Merodie A. Hancock said in a prepared statement. “The JetBlue Scholars program not only makes this happen, but also has the advantage of the full corporate support of JetBlue. Thomas Edison is committed to meeting JetBlue’s education needs and to remaining a premier education solution for crewmembers.”

TESU is one of multiple colleges taking part in the JetBlue Scholars program, which has seen 185 undergraduate degrees earned to date, and more than 1,000 employee participants. JetBlue said requests for master’s programs had been the No. 1 question from its employees since the launch of the program.