FCA US Launches Nationwide No-Cost College Education for Dealership Employees & Families

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Nov 22, 2015, 05:00 ET

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Nov. 22, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

FCA US teams with Strayer University to launch national, first-of-its-kind dealer program
Degrees@Work open to all participating U.S. dealership employees and their immediate family
Employees, their spouses and their children can earn no-cost, no-debt degree through Strayer University
All Chrysler, Jeep®, Dodge, Ram Truck and FIAT dealerships may participate
First phase of program rollout began in May 2015 with more than 100 FCA dealers in southeast

FCA US LLC announced today the national rollout of its Degrees@Work program and the newly developed Degrees@Work Family offering with Strayer University, designed to provide a no-cost, no-debt college degree to participating FCA US dealership employees and their immediate family members.

FCA US is not only the first and only company in the automotive industry to offer the programs, it's also the first U.S. company of any type to provide a no-cost, no-debt college degree to both employees and their immediate families.

The expanded Degrees@Work program and the new Degrees@Work Family offering will enable FCA US dealerships to attract top talent, improve the skillset of existing employees, lessen the burden of paying for college for families and significantly increase employee retention.

"After the success of the initial regional launch, we're thrilled to expand the benefit not only to all of our dealerships nationwide, but also to dealership employees' immediate family members," said Al Gardner, Head of Dealer Network Development – FCA US LLC. "When we began to seek out a partner to provide education benefits to our employees and their families, we focused on finding a top-notch institution. Strayer has the resources and the experience to provide a world-class education to our employees and their families."

Strayer University, which is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, will offer associate, bachelor's and master's degrees to all participating FCA US dealership employees and their immediate family members. Strayer University is a postsecondary institution with a more than 120-year history educating working adult students online and at campus locations across the country.

"We are proud to partner with a true innovator like FCA US to offer this first-of-its-kind employee benefit," said Karl McDonnell, CEO of Strayer Education, which owns Strayer University. "At Strayer, we're dedicated to improving the way education and business work together. We're thrilled to continue our partnership with FCA US to tackle college affordability and the skills gap head on."

The program was developed using input from dealers and their employees. Depending on the selected program of study, courses will range from business administration and accounting to education, information systems and other areas. Courses will be offered online with 24/7 access for flexibility around work schedules, as well as at Strayer's campus locations throughout the United States. Dealers' employees can have their training and work experience evaluated for college credit to accelerate completion of a degree program.

"Families are often faced with tough choices about how to pay for college," said Gardner. "Expanding this benefit to employees' immediate family members positions our dealer network as the 'employers of choice.'"

To watch FCA's Al Gardner & Strayer Education CEO Karl McDonnell discuss Degrees@Work and Degrees@Work Family, please visit our YouTube playlist at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQ5kXCv_WN_gHtwRInWbqvkJcIQOYd8qa.

For more information, please visit http://fcadegrees.strayeruniversity.edu

About Strayer Education, Inc.
Strayer Education, Inc. (NASDAQ: STRA) is an education services holding company that owns Strayer University. Strayer's mission is to make higher education achievable for working adults in today's economy. Strayer University is a proprietary institution of higher learning that offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs in business administration, accounting, information technology, education, health services administration, public administration, and criminal justice to working adult students. The University includes Strayer@Work, which serves corporate clients by delivering the next generation of performance improvement and workforce development. Strayer University also offers an executive MBA online and corporate training program through its Jack Welch Management Institute. The University is committed to providing an education that prepares working adult students for advancement in their careers and professional lives. Founded in 1892, Strayer University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104. (267-284-5000). The Middle States Commission on Higher Education is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

About FCA US LLC
FCA US LLC is a North American automaker with a new name and a long history. Headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, FCA US is a member of the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. (FCA) family of companies. FCA US designs, engineers, manufactures and sells vehicles under the Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram and FIAT brands as well as the SRT performance vehicle designation. The company also distributes the Alfa Romeo 4C model and Mopar products. FCA US is building upon the historic foundations of Chrysler, the innovative American automaker first established by Walter P. Chrysler in 1925; and Fiat, founded in Italy in 1899 by pioneering entrepreneurs, including Giovanni Agnelli.

FCA, the seventh-largest automaker in the world based on total annual vehicle sales, is an international automotive group. FCA is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "FCAU" and on the Mercato Telematico Azionario under the symbol "FCA."

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