Disney Aspire Announces Drastic Cuts To Cast Member Tuition Program

An email has been sent out to cast members announcing drastic cuts to Disney Aspire.

What’s Happening:

Disney Aspire is the highly touted program for Disney cast members to receive fully paid tuition for acquiring college degrees.
Formerly, the program included bachelor’s and master’s programs, along with 100% coverage for tuition, books, and fees.
Effective November 27th, 2024, many of the benefits that have been a hallmark of Disney Aspire will be scaled back.
First, an annual funding cap of $5,250 will be placed for Aspire students at certain in-network schools.
At this time, a handful of other in-network schools will not yet be subject to this cap — although Disney states that these caps are intended to eventually apply to all students.
Those currently enrolled or those who enroll before November 27th will have the new term fully funded, but it may apply to their 2025 funding cap.
Master’s programs will also lose coverage completely, with students having to pay 100% out-of-pocket to complete their degrees.
This news comes as a stark contrast to the verbiage The Walt Disney Company has used when promoting the program.
Iger has been known to boast about the program in earnings calls, shareholder meetings, and on Twitter.

So proud of the Disney Aspire program, which offers 100% paid education for eligible hourly employees. In five years, nearly 4000 current employees have graduated – and 3100 Disney Aspire students have been promoted within the company. Met several inspiring graduates at…
— Robert Iger (@RobertIger) August 25, 2023

With the immediacy of the cuts, cast members have taken to social media to share their frustration, stress, and anger about how they’ll now be able to afford schooling. Some cast members even shared that they joined the company for the sole purpose of their school being paid for.
Others have also noted that the new cap will barely cover a single semester at their current institution.
Yet, Disney says that some programs will still be fully funded even under the newly-instated cap.

What they’re saying:

A Disney spokesperson: “Since Disney Aspire was first introduced, we have continued to evolve the program to meet the needs of our cast members and employees, as well as the needs of our business. Disney Aspire continues to offer an evolving catalog of programs and degree options across various fields of study, skills and professions, providing our eligible employees the opportunity to pursue disciplines and diplomas including high school equivalency, English language learning, and undergraduate degrees.”
“In addition to Disney Aspire and our education reimbursement program for salaried employees and cast members across the U.S., we also offer a variety of hands-on learning, training, and career development experiences that help employees and cast members to get to where they want to go professionally.”

More Walt Disney Company News: