STATE — Hannaford Supermarkets and the University of Maine System today announced a new partnership that will offer significant savings to associates of the grocery retailer who wish to pursue postsecondary education and training through Maine’s public universities.
Beginning this summer, qualifying full- and part-time Hannaford associates will receive a 10 percent discount on all undergraduate and graduate courses offered within the University of Maine System. The offer extends to all universities within the system, including online and law courses.
“Postsecondary education is the most proven pathway to upward mobility, enabling learners of all ages and stages to improve their knowledge, skills, and earning abilities. With expanded online offerings and other flexible degree and certificate pathways that work for busy adults, relevant higher education and opportunity is more accessible than ever through Maine’s public universities,” said University of Maine System Chancellor Dannel Malloy. “I commend Hannaford Supermarkets for their ongoing investment in their associates and look forward to strengthening our System’s partnership with this iconic Maine-based company for the benefit of their employees and our economy and communities.”
The partnership, which is the first-of-its-kind for the University of Maine System, expands Hannaford’s Groceries to Grads education reimbursement program, which offers associates up to $5,250 in tuition funds annually at any accredited college or university, with additional discounts available at partner universities within Hannaford’s network.
“We are thrilled to partner with the University of Maine System on such a meaningful benefit for our associates,” said Julie Libby, Vice President of Human Resources for Hannaford and a graduate of the University of Southern Maine. “We have a steadfast commitment to supporting the career growth and development of our associates, and this partnership only bolsters the opportunities available to them. We thank the University of Maine System for their collaboration, and encourage our associates to take advantage of this outstanding benefit.”
Maine’s public universities are the most affordable in New England, enabling the Hannaford tuition benefit to go even further toward employees’ door-opening degree or certificate programs. When adjusted for inflation, the cost of tuition and fees within the University of Maine System has actually decreased over the past five years.
Introduced in August 2022, the first full year of Hannaford’s Groceries to Grads initiative supported the career growth and development of associates across 78 stores attending more than 50 colleges and universities. Top programs of study for Hannaford associates utilizing the benefit include business/management; finance/accounting; pharmacy/biology; and computer science/information technology/cyber security.
The tuition discount is the most recent development in a long partnership between Hannaford and the University of Maine System. Since 2020, Hannaford has provided more than $160,000 in funding to initiatives and programs across Maine’s public universities that support student mental health and wellness.
The Groceries to Grads program is one element of the comprehensive benefits offerings available to Hannaford associates, including paid time off, medical coverage, mental and physical wellness programs, associate discounts, paid parental leave, and retirement plans with company match.
For more information about the Groceries to Grads program, and career opportunities at Hannaford Supermarkets, visit Hannaford.com/Careers.
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