Disney Aspire adds culinary arts university to its paid-tuition program

Disney Aspire, The Walt Disney Company’s program which pays 100% of cast members’ college tuition, has added Johnson & Wales University to its list of career development options.

Johnson & Wales is the United States’ only accredited university offering 100% online culinary programming, and the first with a culinary arts focus to join Disney Aspire.

“As we celebrate 50 years of culinary excellence at Johnson & Wales, we honor our foundation in tradition while looking ahead to constantly evolve to meet today’s changing world,” said Jason Evans, Ph.D, dean of the College of Food Innovation and Technology at Johnson & Wales University. “Our world-class chefs create their curriculum with our fast-paced industry in mind, truly setting our students up for success in the real world.”

Disney Aspire aids cast members in reaching their career goals by:

• Covering 100% of tuition upfront and reimbursing for books and fees
• Offering an enhanced program and degree catalog focused on future work trends
• Providing success coaching to individual students from start to finish through Guild
• Including the Disney Aspire Alumni Association and other post-graduate support

Domestically, the Walt Disney Parks and resorts have more than 600 food and beverage locations covering a range of divisions, including pastry, catering, fine dining, and counter service. Adding culinary arts educational opportunities to Disney Aspire’s course options may lead to successful career outcomes for hourly employees who would like to advance in their roles over the next two years.

“Much like Disney, Johnson & Wales is committed to being cutting-edge, staying on top of trends, and ensuring what their students learn today are things they can put into practice tomorrow,” said Chris Trout, vice president of learning and development at The Walt Disney Company. “Their dedication to being innovative global leaders in the culinary space is the exact sort of momentum we need to help inspire culinary career mobility at our company.”

More than 13,000 Disney cast members are currently enrolled in the Disney Aspire program, which offers extensive post-graduate support to help career aspirations come true.

For more information about the Disney Aspire program, visit Aspire.Disney.com.