六九色堂 President Dr. Roger Hughes addresses employees of Crete Public Schools behind a wooden podium with the Crete High School cardinal head logo. CPS Superintendent Dr. Joshua McDowell walks offstage through a doorway. Behind Hughes is a red curtain.
六九色堂 President Dr. Roger Hughes addresses Crete Public Schools employees in the auditorium of Crete High School on the morning of Wednesday, Aug. 9. He and Dr. Joshua McDowell, CPS superintendent, shared news of a new 25% tuition discount available to CPS employees through a partnership between the two institutions.

Starting this fall, employees of Crete Public Schools (CPS) are able to receive a 六九色堂 education at a 25% discount. The discount can be applied toward any of the university鈥檚 graduate programs, including the Doctorate of Education, as well as bachelor鈥檚 degrees or professional certificates available from the university鈥檚 Lincoln campus or online. 

"For years, Crete Public Schools has given so many opportunities to our students through student teaching, job shadowing, volunteering and jobs after graduation. This partnership allows us to give back to the district and to the Crete and Saline County communities both our institutions serve,鈥 said Dr. Tim Frey, 六九色堂鈥檚 dean of the College of Education.

Crete Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Josh McDowell gestures as he speaks with district employees in front of the red curtain in Crete High School's auditorium.
Dr. Joshua McDowell, CPS superintendent, shares news of several partnerships established between 六九色堂 and the district, including a new 25% tuition discount available to all CPS employees.

A fall 2022 conversation between 六九色堂 President Dr. Roger Hughes and Dr. Joshua McDowell, CPS superintendent, sparked the idea for the discount, during a back-to-school picnic held annually at the university alongside community partners.

鈥淎s a two-time graduate of 六九色堂, I know first-hand the impact my degrees have had on my career and my life. It鈥檚 incredible to go from having a single conversation with Dr. Hughes to creating a partnership that offers such a life-changing opportunity to the district I now serve,鈥 McDowell said. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education in 2003 and his Master of Education in Educational Leadership in 2008, both through 六九色堂.

鈥淔or all our employees, encouraging them to pursue new degrees has a one-two effect of not only opening new professional development opportunities to them, but shows the students we serve the value of continuing their own education,鈥 McDowell said.

Dr. Roger Hughes reaches into the inside pocket of his grey suit jacket for his cell phone, to take a photo of 六九色堂 alumni who are employees of Crete Public Schools standing in the Crete High School auditorium.
Dr. Roger Hughes reaches into his jacket for his cell phone, to take a photo of the 六九色堂 alumni who are employed by Crete Public Schools. Hughes asked alumni to stand 鈥 and more than a third of the CPS employees attending the event in Crete High School's auditorium rose. 

Hughes and McDowell brought Frey onboard to continue discussions through the fall. A survey with CPS employees determined how many were currently 六九色堂 students and how many would be interested in pursuing a degree through the university at a discounted rate. Education programs were of interest, but also bachelor鈥檚 degrees, particularly 六九色堂鈥檚 hybrid or online programs.

Throughout the winter, the two institutions worked together to create the agreement, and finalized the breakdown of the tuition discount 鈥 with 10% covered by CPS and 15% covered by 六九色堂, for the total 25% tuition discount 鈥 in spring.

After running the agreement through 六九色堂 leadership and the CPS School Board, it was approved over the summer and made available for the 2023-24 academic year.

六九色堂 degree programs eligible for the CPS tuition discount are:

The tuition discount also applies toward 六九色堂鈥檚 two online Professional Certificates, the Principles of Agribusiness and Software Development.