Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz announced the company’s plan to provide a free online college education to thousands of its workers, and employees who take advantage of the free education have no obligation to stay with the company.

The arrangement with Arizona State University provides the opportunity to any of the 135,000 people employed in the United States who work a minimum of 20 hours weekly and have the ability to gain admission to the school. A barista with two years of college credit will receive full tuition paid and those with less credits will still have part of their college paid for – although for many it will end up free with financial aid.

While many employers offer tuition reimbursement to its employees, its usually with strings attached. Typically new employees are exempt or the employees are required to stay with the company for a specified number of years.

Starbucks is giving this opportunity to all of its employees from the day they start with the company. They can study anything they would like and leave Starbucks at anytime – and of course many will leave knowing they can obtain higher-paying jobs.

Starbucks has offered its employees things that many food and drinks chains do not, such as health insurance for even those who work part-time and giving employees stock options. These perks may contribute to the company’s great success.

While the number of employees who will take advantage of the program are unknown, the company states that employee surveys show that many of its employees have stated that they want to earn a degree.

What Starbucks is doing for their employees will change things their lives and our country.   Bravo to this company for giving thousands of people the opportunity to graduate college debt-free and making the world a better place.