Hannaford Offering Discounted College Tuition to Employees
Hannaford Supermarkets and the University of Maine System are teaming up to offer significant savings for the chain’s associates who want to pursue postsecondary education and training at Maine’s public universities. Starting this summer, full- and part-time Hannaford associates who qualify will receive a 10% discount on all undergraduate and graduate courses offered within the University of Maine System. This includes all universities within the system, extending to 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,” noted University of Maine System Chancellor Dannel Malloy. “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. 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.”
This first-of-its-kind partnership for the University of Maine System expands Hannaford’s Groceries to Grads education reimbursement program, which provides associates with up to $5,250 in tuition funds annually at any accredited college or university, with further 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, VP of Human Resources for Scarborough, Maine-based 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.”
As Maine’s public universities are the most affordable in New England, Hannaford’s tuition benefit is able to go even further toward an employee’s degree or certificate program, according to the grocer, which added that, 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, Hannaford’s Groceries to Grads initiative supported the career growth and development of associates across 78 stores attending more than 50 colleges and universities in its first full year. Top programs of study for Hannaford associates using the benefit included business/management, finance/accounting, pharmacy/biology, and computer science/information technology/cyber security.
Beyond the current tuition discount offering, Hannaford has provided more than $160,000 in funding since 2020 to initiatives and programs across Maine’s public universities in support of student mental health and wellness.
Hannaford operates 189 stores, most with full-service pharmacies, in Maine, New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont. Its parent company, Ahold Delhaize USA, a division of Zaandam, Netherlands-based Ahold Delhaize, is No. 11 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2024 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America. PG also named Ahold Delhaize one of its Retailers of the Century and one of its 10 Most Sustainable Grocers.
