In January, WeWork and 2U teamed up to provide a physical study space and memberships for online degree students in 2U-powered higher education programs.
Now, the duo are teaming up again to make learning how to code more accessible and affordable.
Through the new partnership program, Lanham, Md.-based edtech company 2U will provide $150,000 in scholarships and $240,000 in apprenticeships to low-income students who participate in WeWork's new Access Labs Initiative. Up to 20 people will be selected for the scholarship, and 10 graduates of the Access Labs initiative will be selected for apprenticeships at 2U following graduation.
"A person's income should not limit their opportunity," said James Keingsberg, 2U's chief technology officer, in a statement. "That is why we are incredibly excited about our partnership with the Access Labs Initiative because it expands on our joint commitment to lifelong learning and will make this transformative educational experience more accessible and affordable to diverse and ambitious adults."
In October, WeWork acquired the New York City-based Flatiron School, and, through that acquisition, they've now launched the Access Labs Initiative, a software immersive program allowing students to pay their tuition after they graduate and are employed. Students learn the fundamentals of HTML5 and CSS and full stack Ruby and JavaScript in the 15-week modular program. The next program starts on April 23.
Now, with with the scholarships, called the "No Back Row" Future Devs Scholarship, 2U will reduce tuition by half. To be eligible, applicants must have a high school degree, or equivalent; earn $35,000 annually or less; be at least 21 years old at the start of the program; and be legally authorized to work in the United States permanently.
"The Access Labs Initiative is designed to be a catapult of economic mobility," said Avi FLombaum, Flatiron School's dean, in a statement. "Together with 2U, we are dedicated to providing educational opportunity to more people."
Correction: A previous version of this story stated that 2U was only pulling from the scholarship recipients for apprenticeships. Rather, 2U will pull from all Access Lab Initiative students for the apprenticeship opportunity. This story has been updated to reflect the change.
