Adidas Tuition Assistance: How the adidasED x ASU Scholarship Works for Online Degrees

Adidas employees in the United States have access to one of the more interesting employer education benefits in the country, structured around a single anchor university and delivered with a feature that very few comparable programs offer: a direct tuition discount that stacks on top of the employer payment. The adidasED x ASU Scholarship Program covers online degree tuition at Arizona State University with no upfront cost to the employee, plus a 25 percent ASU scholarship discount that meaningfully extends what the benefit covers.

This piece breaks down how the program works, who qualifies, what it covers, which ASU online degrees fit best for working adults, and how to combine it with federal financial aid for the lowest possible total cost. Adidas employees who are sitting on this benefit but have not used it (the majority, according to Adidas’s own data) should read through what is actually available before assuming the program is not a fit for them.

For the broader framework on planning an online degree as a working adult, see: The Complete Guide to Earning an Accredited Online Degree as an Adult Learner.

What the adidasED x ASU Scholarship Is

Adidas launched the adidasED x ASU Scholarship Program in 2017 as an expansion of its Global Sport Alliance partnership with Arizona State University. The program was designed to give Adidas employees access to a fully online ASU degree at little or no out-of-pocket cost. It is administered by InStride, an education benefits platform that ASU helped found in 2019 (the company emerged from ASU’s earlier work on the Starbucks College Achievement Plan, which uses a similar single-school structure).

Three structural features distinguish this benefit from most other employer tuition programs:

Direct pay to ASU. Adidas pays tuition costs directly to ASU before the term begins, so employees never front money out of pocket and never wait for reimbursement. The cash flow problem that prevents many employees from using their tuition benefits at other companies does not apply here.
ASU’s 25 percent tuition scholarship. ASU provides participating Adidas employees a 25 percent reduction on standard online tuition rates. This is separate from the direct employer payment and stacks on top of it. The combined effect is that the Adidas benefit goes 25 percent further than it would at a non-discounted school.
Single-university structure. The program covers ASU Online only. Unlike Walmart’s Live Better U (multiple partner schools) or Amazon Career Choice (400+ schools), adidasED is a focused, ASU-anchored benefit. The trade-off is less school choice in exchange for deeper integration and the 25 percent tuition discount.

The single-school structure mirrors the Starbucks College Achievement Plan, which has covered ASU Online tuition for Starbucks partners since 2014 and is the longest-running large-scale employer-ASU partnership in the country. Adidas’s program is smaller in scale (Adidas employs around 10,000 people in the U.S. compared to Starbucks’s hundreds of thousands of U.S. baristas) but shares the same operational logic.

For comparison with the Starbucks single-school structure, see: Starbucks College Achievement Plan: Full Breakdown for Partners.

Who Qualifies for the adidasED x ASU Scholarship

Adidas extends the adidasED program broadly across its U.S. workforce. Employees in retail stores, distribution centers, and corporate offices are eligible to apply, which puts the program in a different category from employer benefits restricted to corporate or salaried roles only.

Specific eligibility requirements (employment status, tenure, hours worked) are confirmed in the InStride application portal at adidas.instride.com. Employees should consult their HR business partner or the InStride support team to confirm current criteria, because eligibility rules can be updated between program years. Reebok employees were originally included in the program when Reebok was an Adidas company; Reebok was divested from Adidas in 2021, so current Reebok employees no longer qualify under this benefit.

The program is in addition to Adidas’s other education-related benefits. Adidas launched a separate student loan repayment benefit in 2023, providing a $1,200 annual stipend to full-time employees toward existing federal or qualified private student loans after one year of employment. The student loan benefit is administered separately from adidasED and is open to all qualifying employees regardless of whether they enroll in an ASU program. Both can be used simultaneously: an Adidas employee with an existing degree and student debt can take the $1,200 loan paydown stipend while never enrolling at ASU, and a current student can use adidasED for new ASU coursework while ignoring the loan stipend.

What the Benefit Covers

The adidasED scholarship covers tuition at ASU Online for approved degree programs. Non-tuition costs (books, technology fees, exam proctoring fees) are typically not covered under the scholarship and may be the employee’s responsibility, though specific coverage details should be verified in the InStride portal at the time of enrollment.

The Annual Tuition Assistance Limit

Like most U.S. employer education benefits, the adidasED program operates within the framework of Section 127 of the Internal Revenue Code, which sets the tax-free annual tuition assistance limit at $5,250 per employee per calendar year. Tuition assistance up to $5,250 is provided tax-free to the employee; amounts above that figure may be treated as taxable income depending on how the program is structured.

Source on the Section 127 framework: IRS: Frequently asked questions about educational assistance programs.

This is where the ASU 25 percent scholarship discount becomes mathematically important. ASU Online’s standard tuition rates run between $530 and $750 per credit for many bachelor’s programs (rates vary by program, with business and engineering programs at the higher end and some humanities and social science programs at the lower end). A 25 percent reduction brings the effective rate down meaningfully. For a program at $560 per credit, the discounted rate is $420 per credit. At that rate, $5,250 in employer assistance covers roughly 12-13 credits per year, enough for steady part-time progress on a typical 120-credit bachelor’s degree.

Without the 25 percent discount, $5,250 would cover only about 9-10 credits per year at the same standard rate, which would extend a degree timeline meaningfully. The discount is what makes the program structurally workable for full part-time pacing.

Above the Cap

If an employee enrolls at a credit load that exceeds what the $5,250 covers in a year, the additional tuition is the employee’s responsibility, but it remains at the discounted 25 percent off rate. This is why scheduling courses across two calendar years rather than concentrated in one can matter: the cap resets each January, and a full-time-equivalent annual course load can sometimes be split across two cap years to keep total out-of-pocket cost at zero.

Which ASU Online Programs Make Sense

ASU Online offers more than 300 fully online degree programs at the bachelor’s, master’s, and certificate level. The program catalog spans business, engineering, technology, healthcare, education, the social sciences, and the liberal arts, with strong programmatic accreditation across the major working-adult disciplines.

Business and Management

ASU’s W. P. Carey School of Business holds AACSB accreditation, the most selective business school accreditation globally (held by less than 5 percent of business schools worldwide). For Adidas employees specifically, the alignment with the company’s business operations makes this an obvious starting point. Bachelor’s degrees in Business (with concentrations in management, marketing, supply chain, and others), Communication, and Organizational Leadership are popular choices, as is the online MBA at the graduate level.

Adidas employees in retail and distribution roles often gravitate toward business and supply chain programs because the curriculum is directly applicable to internal career moves. Adidas employees in marketing, design, or digital roles might consider Communication, Digital Marketing, or Graphic Information Technology programs that align with internal job functions.

Computer Science and Information Technology

ASU’s Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering hold ABET accreditation across multiple computer science and engineering programs. Online bachelor’s degrees in Computer Science, Software Engineering, and Information Technology are well-suited for employees pursuing tech roles inside or outside Adidas. The cybersecurity master’s program is among ASU Online’s most-applied-to graduate programs.

Communication, Marketing, and Design

The fit between the apparel and lifestyle brand world and ASU’s communication and marketing programs is direct. Bachelor’s degrees in Mass Communication and Media Studies, Digital Audiences, and Marketing prepare students for the kind of brand and content roles that exist inside Adidas itself, which makes these degrees one of the more career-aligned uses of the benefit.

Healthcare and Social Work

ASU offers online programs in healthcare administration (CAHME-accredited at the master’s level), social work (CSWE-accredited), and behavioral health that prepare students for fields outside Adidas’s core business. For employees considering eventual career changes into the healthcare or social services sector, these programs are credible starting points.

Liberal Arts and Sciences

Bachelor’s degrees in Psychology, English, History, Sociology, and Political Science are available fully online. Adidas employees who started college earlier in life and want to finish a degree they paused often gravitate toward these programs because the credit transfer is generally generous and the field of study is flexible enough to accept varied prior coursework.

For ASU Online’s full institutional review including admissions standards, transfer credit policies, and specific program details, see: ASU Online College Review.

Stacking the Benefit With Federal Financial Aid

Most working adults using the adidasED program can drive their net out-of-pocket cost close to zero by combining the employer benefit with federal financial aid through the FAFSA. The two systems stack rather than substitute, and skipping the FAFSA forfeits aid the employer benefit cannot replace.

How the Math Works at ASU Online

Take an Adidas employee enrolling in 24 credits per year (roughly 8 courses, typical part-time pace) at a $560 standard per-credit ASU program. Here is the funding stack:

Cost Layer	Annual Amount
Standard ASU tuition (24 credits × $560)	$13,440
Less: ASU 25% adidasED scholarship discount	($3,360)
Net tuition cost	$10,080
Less: adidasED tuition assistance (Section 127 cap)	($5,250)
Less: Pell Grant (income-eligible adult)	($4,000)
Estimated out-of-pocket annual cost	$830

The exact Pell Grant amount depends on the employee’s adjusted gross income, household size, and other FAFSA inputs. Independent students (most adults age 24 or older, or anyone with dependents) qualify based on their own income rather than their parents’, which frequently produces partial or full Pell eligibility for incomes well into the middle class.

For employees who qualify for full Pell ($7,395 maximum for the 2025-26 academic year), the combination of $5,250 employer assistance, the 25 percent ASU discount, and full Pell eliminates out-of-pocket tuition cost entirely at most ASU programs. Employees with lower Pell eligibility may face a small annual gap that can be covered through federal subsidized loans (the protective borrowing option, with interest paid by the federal government during enrollment) or through additional paid-down hours of work.

For the complete guide to filing the FAFSA as an online student, see: FAFSA for Online Students: What to Know Before You Apply.

How adidasED Compares to Other Employer Programs

Adidas employees considering whether to stay with the company specifically for the education benefit often want to know how the program compares to other major employer offerings. The honest answer depends on what you value: school choice, total dollar coverage, or employer flexibility.

Program	School Choice	Annual Cap	Structure
Adidas (adidasED x ASU)	ASU Online only	$5,250 + 25% ASU discount	Direct pay + tuition discount
Starbucks (SCAP)	ASU Online only	Full tuition, no cap	Direct pay
Walmart (LBU)	Multiple partners	Full tuition, no cap	Direct pay
Amazon Career Choice	400+ partners	$5,250	Direct pay to cap
Target (Dream to Be)	Guild network	Full UG / $10K grad	Direct pay

Where adidasED stands out: the 25 percent ASU tuition discount is unique in the U.S. employer-tuition landscape. Walmart’s LBU covers full ASU tuition with no discount needed because the employer pays whatever ASU charges. Starbucks’s SCAP covers full ASU tuition the same way. Adidas’s structure caps employer payment at the Section 127 limit but leverages a separate ASU-side discount to extend coverage. For an employee who values the ASU brand specifically and is comfortable working within the $5,250 framework, the math is competitive with the more generous full-coverage programs.

Where adidasED falls behind: school choice. An Adidas employee who would prefer a different online university (SNHU’s lower per-credit rate, WGU’s competency-based model, Penn State’s reputation, a specific ABET-accredited engineering program, or a CCNE-accredited nursing program at a different school) does not have those options through this benefit. Employees who want non-ASU schools can pursue them but would need to fund the tuition without employer assistance.

For the complete framework on comparing employer tuition programs, see: The Complete Guide to Employer Tuition Reimbursement.

How to Enroll

The enrollment process for adidasED follows the standard InStride workflow, with steps that line up with most other large-employer InStride and Guild programs. The full process from interest to first day of class typically takes 6 to 10 weeks, though it can move faster if all materials are ready and slower if transcripts need to be requested from prior schools.

Step 1: Visit the adidasED Portal

Adidas employees can access the program through the InStride-hosted portal at adidas.instride.com. The portal lists current eligibility requirements, available ASU programs, application timelines, and FAQs specific to the Adidas configuration of the benefit.

Step 2: Apply to ASU Online

Once the InStride application is approved, the employee submits a separate application to ASU Online for the specific degree program of interest. ASU Online uses a rolling admissions process with multiple start dates per year (typically every 7 weeks for many programs), which gives flexibility on when to begin coursework. ASU’s admissions office processes the application using the standard ASU Online review criteria, which include high school transcript or equivalent, any prior college coursework transcripts for transfer credit evaluation, and standard application materials.

Step 3: Submit Transfer Credit

If the employee has prior college coursework, transcripts from those institutions need to be sent to ASU directly for transfer credit evaluation. ASU accepts a substantial amount of transfer credit (typically up to 90 of 120 credits for a bachelor’s degree, depending on the program), which can compress a degree timeline significantly for employees who started college earlier in life and never finished.

For the official ASU Online portal: ASU Online.

Step 4: File the FAFSA

Before the first term of enrollment, file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid at studentaid.gov. This unlocks Pell Grants, subsidized federal loans, and other aid that stacks on top of the adidasED benefit. The FAFSA process is free, takes 30 to 60 minutes, and uses tax data the employee already has on file.

Step 5: Confirm Tuition Coverage Before Each Term

Before each term begins, the employee verifies in the InStride portal that the upcoming courses are approved for adidasED coverage and that the annual cap has sufficient remaining capacity. Adidas pays ASU directly before the term starts; the employee never sees a tuition bill for the covered amount. Any non-covered costs (books, fees) are the employee’s responsibility and can be paid through Pell Grant funds, the savings of the eliminated commute and on-campus expenses, or out of regular wages.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use adidasED for graduate school?

Yes. ASU Online offers numerous master’s programs eligible for the benefit. Common graduate options for working adults include the W. P. Carey online MBA, Master’s in Business Analytics, Master’s in Cybersecurity, Master’s in Healthcare Administration, and Master’s in Education. Graduate per-credit rates run higher than undergraduate, which means the $5,250 cap covers fewer credits per year, but the 25 percent ASU discount applies to graduate programs as well.

Can I use adidasED if I already have a bachelor’s degree?

Yes. Adidas employees with existing bachelor’s degrees can apply the benefit toward graduate study, certificates, or additional undergraduate coursework. This differs from Walmart’s LBU, which restricts the benefit to employees who do not yet hold a bachelor’s. Adidas’s program is more flexible on this point.

What happens if I leave Adidas mid-degree?

Coverage typically continues through the term in which you were enrolled when you left, but stops for any future terms. Most employer education programs handle this consistently. The $5,250 in tax-free assistance you received in prior calendar years is not clawed back. If you have completed coursework you have already paid for through the benefit, those credits remain yours: they are part of your ASU academic record and are accepted by other accredited institutions if you transfer.

Are there service commitment requirements?

Adidas’s adidasED program does not currently impose post-graduation service commitments (the kind some healthcare and military-adjacent employers require). Employees can complete a degree through the program and leave the company without owing back the value of the benefit. This is consistent with the Walmart, Amazon, and Starbucks no-service-commitment models.

Can I combine adidasED with the Adidas student loan repayment benefit?

Yes. The two are administered separately. An Adidas employee with existing student loan debt who is also pursuing additional education can use adidasED for new ASU coursework and the $1,200 annual loan repayment stipend toward existing debt simultaneously. The two programs together cover both the past education cost and the future one.

What if I want to study at a school other than ASU?

The adidasED scholarship is exclusive to ASU Online. Employees who want to attend a different school would need to fund tuition without employer assistance. Some employees choose to attend a different school using only Pell Grants and federal loans, but that math typically does not work out as favorably as enrolling at ASU through the funded program. The structure of the benefit creates a strong incentive to stay within the ASU ecosystem.

Does the Section 127 cap apply across multiple employer benefits if I switch jobs mid-year?

Yes. The $5,250 annual tax-free limit is a per-employee, per-calendar-year limit across all employers. An employee who used $3,000 in adidasED benefits before leaving Adidas mid-year and then started at another employer with tuition assistance would have only $2,250 in remaining tax-free benefit available for the rest of that calendar year. This rarely affects employees because most do not hit the cap, but it is worth knowing if you are planning a job change.

Who This Benefit Works Best For

The adidasED structure produces meaningfully different value depending on the employee’s situation. Three profiles benefit most:

Adidas Retail or Distribution Employees Who Started College But Did Not Finish

This is the largest population the program is designed to serve. Approximately 36 million working-age Americans have some college credit but no degree, and Adidas’s retail and distribution workforce skews heavily toward this demographic. ASU’s 90-credit transfer cap means a student with 60 prior credits can finish a bachelor’s in roughly 60 additional credits, or 2-3 years of part-time work at the cap-funded pace. The 25 percent ASU discount and the direct pay structure remove the cost and cash-flow barriers that prevented these employees from finishing the first time.

Adidas Corporate Employees Pursuing Career Advancement

Marketing, communications, and business roles inside Adidas often benefit from a credentialed degree at the bachelor’s or master’s level. The W. P. Carey MBA (AACSB-accredited) is particularly well-suited for employees on a management track. The career alignment is strong: ASU’s curriculum maps onto skills that translate directly to internal Adidas advancement.

Employees With Specific ASU Brand Preference

ASU is a major public R1 research university with a national academic reputation. Employees who specifically value the ASU brand on their resume, who have geographic ties to Arizona, or who appreciate the integration with ASU’s broader alumni network find the single-school structure of adidasED more appealing than the broader catalogs of other employers’ programs. The brand prestige is a real factor, particularly for employees considering eventual career moves outside Adidas.

The benefit works less well for employees who want school choice, who already have field-specific degree goals tied to schools other than ASU (a CCNE-accredited nursing program elsewhere, an ABET-accredited engineering program at a specific school, or a competency-based path at WGU), or who would prefer a different cost structure. For those employees, the math frequently still favors taking the adidasED benefit anyway because the alternative is paying full tuition somewhere else, but the school-fit question matters.

Putting It Together

The adidasED x ASU Scholarship is one of the more creatively structured employer education benefits in the U.S. workforce. The combination of direct tuition pay, the 25 percent ASU scholarship discount, and the broad eligibility across retail, distribution, and corporate roles makes the program meaningfully accessible to most U.S. Adidas employees. Layered with FAFSA-driven federal aid, most working adults using the program can complete an ASU bachelor’s degree with little to no out-of-pocket cost.

The path to maximum value: confirm eligibility through the InStride portal, file the FAFSA before enrolling, choose an ASU program where the 25 percent discount and the Pell Grant work together to cover the full tuition cost, and pace coursework across calendar years to maximize the cap. Adidas employees who have not used the benefit are leaving real money on the table, which is the most preventable mistake in adult education funding.