Blue Cross Blue Shield - Corporate/College Partnerships

When Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina started their corporate university, they recognized that they could not do it all themselves and needed help to address strengths as well as gaps.

Tuition assistance had been in place for many years but was not used to its full capacity. Only 3-5% of the population was taking advantage of the opportunity. BCBS NC did not provide onsite degree programs or counseling for the tuition reimbursement program. In order to make the benefit that already existed more meaningful and usable, they asked the university partners to conduct the programs on site so the programs would be more convenient for participants and provide better guidance.

Initially, they identified a university partner to offer a bachelors degree. Then later, they identified a partner to offer a masters degree. Classroom space was provided on site instead of having people travel to the partner’s location.

In the program, people that do not know each other are put together in a cohort that moves through the courses together. In this way, the individuals develop relationships and offer encouragement as they progress in the program together.