Feeling Fortunate

If somebody would have told Levi Sturgeon he’d be able to earn advanced college degrees and designations while working full-time – and not incur debt – he probably wouldn’t have believed it. In his defense, it is pretty incredible.

It’s also 100% true.

Levi’s a State Farm® Human Resources & Development manager in Bloomington, Illinois. After missing out on a job opportunity 10 years ago, he decided to go back to school to develop skills to make him more competitive. Since then, he’s earned a bachelor’s degree, an industry designation and a master’s degree – all while working full-time at State Farm! Today, Levi has a job he loves and an education he never thought he’d have.

One thing he doesn’t have? Student loan debt.

“I consider myself very fortunate to have zero school debt because of the generous tuition assistance program at State Farm,” Levi shared.

Ready to focus

Alyssa Dabney, a claims support specialist in Charlottesville, Virginia, might have found her tuition assistance pretty hard to believe, too, back when she was struggling with the decision to transfer to a four-year school. She just wasn’t sure if she could afford it, but thanks to State Farm, she’s now working toward a bachelor’s degree.

“Now, I can focus on my schoolwork without worrying about how I’m going to pay for it,” Allysa said. “This degree is going to help me learn and refine my skills. In turn, that’ll lead to new opportunities and help me advance my career.”

Greater Convenience. Less Worry.

Providing educational access for all employees is a great benefit. The inclusion of direct billing earlier this year made it even greater. With direct billing, employees can attend courses with little to no out-of-pocket expense. State Farm pays tuition and fees directly on the employee’s behalf. (Employees still have to pay for books, but are reimbursed.) This allows employees to focus on their career and learning, rather than worrying about how to pay for it.

This program is available to employees who attend courses at Lincoln College in Normal, Illinois, and Georgia State University (GSU) in Atlanta. Additional “direct bill” schools will be added.

In addition to tuition assistance, employees in the programs have access to advising assistance to help keep them on track.

As emerging technologies rapidly transform the workplace, experts predict significant displacement and demand for new skills to fill future jobs. The ability to adapt, learn, and transition to new and emerging employment opportunities will be essential for workers worldwide. Pathways for the Future is designed to address these changes, focused specifically on high school students, community college and university students, and career professionals who wish to compete for new and evolving jobs in the changing marketplace.

“Technological change holds enormous promise and the potential for job creation. It also challenges employees, employers and students and presents a change we all must adapt to,” said State Farm Chairman and CEO Michael Tipsord. “Today represents a new milestone in our relationship with ASU and builds on our corporate commitment to prepare not only for what’s coming, but for what is already happening. We look forward to growing this commitment with ASU and working together to build the workforce of the future through universal learning.”

With the online nature of the program, State Farm’s gift will enable ASU to assist many more learners regardless of their location and will provide students access to the transfer and transition tools which support curriculum pathway mapping and sequencing. This component will also help people discover career interests and provides a way for ASU to share pertinent information with mid-career adults and to students navigating higher education options.

There are four targeted groups for the Pathway Program, including:

• High School Students
• Maricopa County Community College Students
• Arizona State University Students
• Employees, already in the workforce, wanting to learn new skills, including State Farm employees

“State Farm has been a good neighbor to ASU for the past several years – our aligned values and our mutual commitment and investment of human and financial capital makes for an ideal partnership in Pathways for the Future,” said ASU President Michael M. Crow. “We believe strongly in the evolving model of universal learning, making higher education available to those from all socioeconomic backgrounds at any point in their lives. This is what the workforce of the future needs and what we hope to accomplish with State Farm. Together, our goal is to help people work through what will be a significant transformation in the economy.”

The program has three specific Academic Tracks, including STEM/Engineering, Business/Leadership and Humanities/Social Sciences. For more information on the tracks and complete program details, please visit: https://pff.asu.edu/. The Pathways for the Future portal can be accessed here.