Work+ expands – more jobs, less debt for Miami Regionals students

The Work+ program at Miami Regionals will add another employer in fall 2020—Community First Solutions—expanding Miami’s groundbreaking jobs program that enables students to graduate without accumulating student debt. Three of the original employers maintained those jobs through the economic disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in spring 2020. 

One student involved in Work+ in spring 2020 was Dale Savage, who drove a bus for the Butler County Regional Transit Authority - providing him with a healthy dose of perspective.

“I have seen the importance of providing transportation to people who don’t have the privilege of driving a car,” said Savage, a 2019 Badin High School graduate who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in computer science at Miami’s Hamilton campus. “It’s kind of humbling for me.”

About 30 students from the Hamilton and Middletown campuses participated in spring 2020, said Kelly Brown, interim director of Work+. Besides BCRTA, other employers included Deceuninck, thyssenkrupp Bilstein and The Fischer Group.

What is Work+?

Started in fall 2019 with four employer partners, Work+ allows Miami Regionals students to pursue a degree and work 24 hours a week. Employers pay students’ tuition in addition to a salary, allowing them to graduate with no debt.

Work+ is a success

More than 90% of the students in the program earned spring 2020 credits and had their tuition covered, with an average GPA of 3.31—better than the student body as a whole.