UMGC and Guild Education Partnership

Employees at Herschend Enterprises, UC Health, and more will have access to debt-free education and upskilling at the nation’s largest online public university

Adelphi, Md. (March 31, 2022) — Guild Education, a social impact company that connects workers to a learning marketplace of the nation’s best institutions for working adult learners, and University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC), the nation’s largest online public university, are proud to announce a new partnership in service of America’s working adults.

Through this new alliance, UMGC’s wide range of career-focused online degree and certificate programs will now be available to learners at Guild’s employer partners including Bon Secours Mercy Health, Discover, Herschend Enterprises, UCHealth, and more. Tuition costs are paid by the respective employers.

“We are proud to be a part of Guild’s employer network and to provide new avenues for employees to earn credentials or degrees that help them achieve their career goals,” said Dr. Gregory Fowler, president of UMGC. “We share a vision with Guild to unlock life-changing opportunities through education that is accessible no matter where students are. Our academic programs are designed with employer needs in mind and in work-force relevant areas that are in high-demand in the marketplace.”

UMGC is a leader in career-relevant education with a long and deep history of providing a quality and affordable education, with a mission centered on improving the lives of adult learners in the workforce and the military. The institution serves some 90,000 students annually, 78 percent of whom are over the age of 25 and 52 percent of whom identify as a minority.

As a regionally accredited institution, UMGC’s degree and certificate programs are designed from the ground up to prepare students for today’s digital business environment through a collaborative online learning experience. UMGC has also replaced costly textbooks with no-cost digital resources in most classes, saving students thousands of dollars over the course of their degree programs.

“UMGC has an incredible legacy of service and innovation,” said Natalie McCullough, president and chief commercial officer at Guild Education. “We are honored to be a part of the next chapter of their history, and to work alongside a visionary leader like Dr. Fowler. He is a recognized expert in the development of innovative learning models, a distinguished scholar in his own right, and his passion for cultivating new ways to support the unique needs of working adult learners is contagious.”

Current employees at U.S- based companies whose employer offers education programs are encouraged to contact their HR representatives to see if Guild and UMGC are an option for them.

About University of Maryland Global Campus 

Celebrating its 75th anniversary, University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) was established in 1947 to serve adult students outside the traditional campus, including military service members and veterans. Today, UMGC enrolls some 90,000 students annually, offering bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree programs, as well as certificates in more than 90 fully online programs and specializations.

UMGC was the first university to send faculty overseas to teach active-duty military personnel at installations in Europe, beginning in 1949, expanding to Asia in 1956 and to the Middle East in 2005. UMGC faculty have taught in the war zones of Vietnam, Kosovo, Kuwait, Afghanistan and Iraq.   

UMGC now offers classes to military service personnel and their families at more than 180 locations in more than 20 countries. More than half of the university’s student body are active-duty military personnel and their families, members of the National Guard and veterans.  

About Guild Education

Guild Education is a social impact company that empowers American workers to unlock life-changing opportunities for personal and professional advancement through education, skill-building, and coaching.

As a certified B-Corp founded to bridge the gap between education and employment for working adults in the U.S. in need of upskilling for the future of work, Guild’s industry-leading technology platform allows the nation’s largest employers — including Walmart, Chipotle, Discover, Hilton, Macy’s, Target, and The Walt Disney Company — to offer strategic education and skilling to their employees. Guild connects workers to a learning marketplace of the nation’s best learning partners for working adults with tuition paid by the company.

Guild’s payments and technology platform, curated learning marketplace, and advanced education and career services come together to help working adult learners advance in their education and career, debt-free. For more information, visit https://www.guildeducation.com/