Ashford University has established an alliance agreement with Virginia power supplier Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative. This agreement will give Mecklenburg employees an opportunity to pursue a four-year degree with accredited Ashford University.

Owned by Bridgepoint Education, Ashford University's agreement with Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative will permit Mecklenburg's workers to receive fee waivers for costs associated with attending Ashford, giving those employees added incentive to pursue an associates, bachelor's or master's degree with the university.

"We are excited to partner with Ashford University as we continue to prepare for the future," stated Leilani Todd, Mecklenburg's vice president of human resources. "Employee training and development is extremely important at any time but even more so as we look ahead to the next five to ten years and see how our electric utility will be changing. Not only will we have a large number of our employees eligible to retire, we have new infrastructure and technologies coming on board. We see this alliance with Ashford University as a mechanism for our employees to develop the skills and competencies required to pursue opportunities that will be open to them right here at Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative, Inc."

Bridgepoint Education's postsecondary education services focus on offering associate's, bachelor's, master's and doctoral programs in such disciplines as business, education, psychology, social sciences and health sciences. Bridgepoint Education's regionally accredited academic institutions – Ashford University and University of the Rockies – deliver their programs online as well as at traditional campuses located in Clinton, Iowa, and Colorado Springs, Colorado.