I've been an ASU student for 3 years and I'll be graduating in May with no debt. Everyone's experience is different but for me it's been pretty great!

Starbucks does cover 100% of tuition. Until mid-2021 this was in the form of a 42% grant up front and then a reimbursement, so you might still see some references to that, but they now cover everything up front and I don't even get a bill from ASU at all, I just have to buy books. If your tuition coverage goes over $5250 in a calendar year, you'll have to pay taxes on it, which will cause some extra taxes to be withheld on your paycheck, so that's something to plan for.

All classes are asynchronous: no designated class time, just watch lecture videos, do readings, and submit homework, quizzes, and discussion posts. Some classes have due dates once a week or less, while others have due dates every couple of days. A few professors have live study sessions on Zoom but those are always optional. Some of them are really responsive and hands-on, some barely do anything except issue grades, and some are in between. You might have some group projects and in one class I had a group exam. Be careful of time zone differences!

Hey! @u/ristrettooo is pretty spot on. Starbucks and ASU now cover up to 100% tuition costs. It used to be that you had to pay 48%(?), but they changed that last summer. Just keep in mind you aren’t taxed on anything until you reach the $5,250 cap. If your tuition for the year is over that, your paychecks in December will be reduced to pay off the tax overage. I was expecting to make decent money in December and ended up having a $200 and a $500 paycheck 😅 (My paychecks are usually ~$700). So that was a bit rough.

As far as classes I really enjoy it. I do want to clarify that MOST classes are asynchronous. I’m in the Organizational Leadership path, and one of my classes was Team Dynamics & Collaboration. The class was split into teams, and within each team you had to come to a census to hold a Zoom meeting two times a week.

If you put in the work, the classes are easy A’s. In my degree (OGL), all of my tests have been open notes/open textbooks. But my coworker who is working to become an accountant says that all of her tests have that eye tracking software and she is monitored while she takes her exams. I guess it just depends on the type of degree you take.

Oh and definitely utilize ratemyprofessor.com before signing up for classes!

Starbucks gives you a 42% scholarship. So for example if your tuition is $10,000 then the scholarship will cover $4,200. You may be eligible for other grants and scholarships to lower the difference, but if not then you will be given the Starbucks tuition benefit for $5,800. The leftover tuition balance ($5,800 or less with additional grants and scholarships) is what counts toward the $5,250 yearly reimbursement limit. Any amount over $5,250 will be deducted from your paycheck as taxable income in December.