The KFC Foundation is celebrating a groundbreaking achievement as it honors the first graduate from its tuition-free college program. Kevon Pascoe, who started working part-time at his local KFC restaurant while serving as an active-duty logistics officer in the Marine Corps, has earned his master’s degree in business administration from Western Governors University through the program.
The KFC Foundation’s tuition-free college program, in partnership with Western Governors University (WGU), provides KFC restaurant employees with 100 percent paid tuition when attending WGU to earn their degree. The program is available to every eligible KFC employee who applies and enrolls, with access available beginning day one on the job. WGU offers rolling admissions, so KFC restaurant employees have the flexibility to enroll at any time and begin online courses at the start of each month.
Pascoe, who grew up in Kingston, Jamaica, immigrated to the United States with his family in 2010 for more opportunities. He was the first in his family to attain a bachelor’s degree, graduating from Norwich University, the Military College of Vermont, with honors before completing leadership coursework through the United States Marine Corps to become a certified logistics officer.
In February 2023, Pascoe began working part-time at a Jacksonville, North Carolina, KFC after hearing news of the tuition-free college program. “It all stemmed from a friend whose mom is a general manager at the KFC near base,” Pascoe says. “I was interested in earning a master’s degree and she informed me that by working at KFC, I could earn my degree for free. She offered me a night position and I enrolled in courses almost immediately.”
Eight months later, Pascoe walked the stage to receive his diploma at WGU’s commencement ceremony in Las Vegas, Nevada on Friday, October 27 but his educational journey didn’t stop there. Pascoe is starting another master’s in management and leadership through the program and hopes to earn a doctorate next. “Growing up, we lived in poverty. When I got my undergraduate degree, that sparked a lot of interest in my siblings to earn a degree,” Pascoe said. “I want to show them and those in a similar position that we were, that our upbringings don’t define who we are and show them the heights of how far they can go.”
“We are immensely proud of the transformative impact our tuition-free college program is having on the lives of KFC restaurant employees. This program is not just about education; it’s about empowerment and opportunity,” says Emma Horn, Executive Director of the KFC Foundation. “Kevon embodies this so strongly and we can’t wait to see the further impact he makes in the world.”
Providing tuition-free college is just one way the KFC Foundation supports, empowers and serves joy to KFC restaurant employees and their communities. The KFC Foundation’s other charitable programs help restaurant employees earn their GED, get up to $20,000 in scholarships to attend the two- or four-year college, trade school or graduate school of their choice, develop personal and professional skills, receive support during a crisis, build an emergency savings fund and give back to non-profits in their community.
“Partnerships like the one we have with the KFC Foundation are key to advancing our mission to improve lives by creating pathways to opportunity,” said Scott Pulsipher, WGU President. As we celebrate Kevon’s achievement today and his unwavering commitment to furthering his education, we recognize the critical role employers play in helping individuals access educational opportunities that can be life-transforming. I’m proud that our partnership with the KFC Foundation is breaking down barriers and improving lives and communities for generations to come.”
Western Governors University is an accredited online, nonprofit university dedicated to making higher education accessible for as many people as possible. It is the leading academic institution where students learn and advance through competency-based education, giving them control over the pace of how and when they learn and may save them time progressing through the degree program.
KFC restaurant employees interested in the WGU program can go to Kfcfoundation.org/wgu to learn more, and those interested in working at a KFC restaurant can visit kfc.com/careers for more information about available job opportunities in their area.
