Starbucks baristas got books?

Word spread this morning about Starbuck’s new employee perk — two years of tuition at Arizona State University’s online program — but the good news hasn’t been officially shared with the workers who will presumably benefit. “My manager said he had ‘important news,’ but skated around my questions,” said one employee in a downtown Starbucks, who was “awaiting a conference call for more information.” Jesse, 23, another Starbucks worker, expressed concern about Starbuck’s willingness to keep employees adequately informed about their options.So, guys, here's what we know: According to a Seattle Times report, Starbuckers who work at least 20 hours a week on average — that’s the majority of the company’s 135,000 U.S. staffers — can enroll in any of ASU’s 40 online programs this August. Participants have to be college juniors or seniors — freshmen and sophomores are eligible for partial scholarships or need-based financial aid — and they don’t have to stay at Starbucks after they graduate.“Arizona State is the only university that could stand side-by-side with Starbucks to offer a high-quality education, at scale, to all of our U.S. partners,” said Starbucks spokesperson Jaime Riley, about why the coffee giant chose ASU. Riley declined to comment on the terms of the partnership, or on whether Starbucks considered partnering with any Washington State schools. “To our knowledge, Starbucks didn’t contact us,” said Matt Haugen, a Washington State University spokesperson. —  E.W.