What’s behind the Starbucks College Achievement Plan?

A new partnership between coffee giant Starbucks and Arizona State University has offered thousands of workers making Frappuccinos and lattes an extra shot of their own — to higher education.

The program is called the Starbucks College Achievement Plan, and it will reimburse employees who work at least 20 hours per week and take ASU online classes.

The company has 135,000 employees at 7,000 stores around the U.S., and it says 70 percent of those workers are students or aspiring students.

Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz says, "This is not about PR. This is about the future of our company. We can't build a great company and we can't build a great enduring country if we are constantly leaving people behind." 

Employees will still need to apply and be accepted into ASU's program. The university estimates that there will be an influx of 15,000 to 20,000 Starbucks scholars.

ASU started its online program in 2010. It's now one of the largest in the country, offering 40 undergraduate degrees to 11,000 students. At $500 a credit, the cost for a full course load is about $15,000 a year.

Below is the fine print of the plan.

But there’s an important catch. Starbucks students don’t get the money up front. They will be reimbursed only if they reach benchmarks toward graduation.

For juniors and seniors, the benchmark is 21 credits, or seven classes. Students need 120 credits to graduate.

The ASU online website says students should count on devoting 18 hours a week for each five-week class, so it could be months before students reach the benchmarks and get repaid. 

Is this partnership more than just good PR?  

Will other companies rethink the ways they invest in their workforce?

Is it a game changer for business and the business of education?

We consulted a panel of experts for the Inside Story.