FREEHOLD – The Freehold Borough K-8 School District has formalized a partnership with Rider University, Lawrenceville, that will provide a tuition reduction to school district employees who attend the Mercer County university.
The partnership was signed by Superintendent of Schools Rocco Tomazic and Rider President Gregory Dell’Omo during a ceremony at the Park Avenue Complex on April 18.
According to Tomazic, the partnership will provide a 20 percent tuition reduction for school district employees pursuing undergraduate and part-time graduate studies at Rider, both on campus and online. Participants will receive an academic adviser to assist them in planning the coursework to fit their schedule and a free course waiver evaluation for graduate programs.
“Freehold Borough has been most fortunate to partner with Rider University on a number of very significant educational grants,” Tomazic said. “This association has been most beneficial to our teachers and students. We are very pleased to move this ongoing partnership forward so we can work even closer in the future.”
According to the university, Rider offers 72 undergraduate and 42 graduate accredited degree programs. The university offers courses designed for teachers in areas such as teacher leadership, principal leadership, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics), English as a Second Language, and special education.
School district employees pursuing an undergraduate degree can earn up to 15 credits based on their work experience, according to the university.
“We are pleased to offer robust educational opportunities for Freehold Borough public school employees,” Dell’Omo said. “With more than 70 undergraduate programs and over 40 graduate programs, employees can find the academic plan that works for their career goals.”
The 20 percent tuition reduction to participating employees is for all undergraduate, part-time graduate and on-campus programs. According to the university, participants who are enrolled at a fixed cost, enrolled in a doctoral program, or qualify for Rider University scholarships for full-time programs are not eligible for the 20 percent tuition discount.
