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McDonald's triples aid to help workers afford college

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McDonald's announced it's tripling the amount of scholarship money it's offering to its employees to help them get a college degree.

Eligible crew members can receive up to $2,500 per year and managers can make up to $3,000 a year, up from $700 and $1,050 respectively.

One of the workers who has taken advantage of the program is Jackie Southam from Henderson, Nevada. She's been working at McDonalds for the past 8 years.

During that time, she's risen to become a manager, and she's also gotten help from McDonald's to earn a bachelor's degree from Nevada State in biology with a minor in chemistry.

With the additional funding increase, she's planning to go back this fall and pursue a master's degree in public health.

Her goal is to become an epidemiologist and work for the Centers for Disease Control.

She says she's had to pay her entire way through school working two jobs, and the scholarship from McDonald's helped her get through.

Right now, UNLV costs around $3,100 a semester for state residents, and the College of Southern Nevada is around $1,400, plus other costs like books and transportation.

McDonald's isn't alone though. Working for several other large companies can also help you get assistance with tuition. Best Buy, Walmart, Verizon, and Bank of America all offer similar types of help.