Widener University and the City of Chester are investing big into the future of the community with a big deal on higher education.

The nearly 300 Chester city employees, plus their spouses and dependents, will now get up to 50 percent off the cost of tuition at Widener University, according to a Philadelphia Business Journal report by Alison Burdo.

“This new partnership is a pivotal stepping stone, not just for the employees but the entire City of Chester,” said Mayor Thaddeus Kirkland. “Widener University has helped to create a medium where our employees are able to better themselves through higher education, thus manifesting into ways that will better serve our community.”

The deal provides 45 percent off undergraduate classes in the Center for Continuing Studies and 50 percent off online master’s classes. Those discounts are twice as generous as Widener’s existing offer to employees in Philadelphia, who get 25 percent off.

Read more about the college tuition deal in the Philadelphia Business Journal here, and check out previous DELCO Today coverage of Widener University here.