Speedskaters Keep Tuition-Free Education Path

Athletes in the Beyond the Podium program continue to receive tuition-free schooling and career counseling under the renewed partnership.

Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Scholarships

Gouache-painted editorial illustration of a single speed-skating blade resting across a cream field above a stone pedestal, evoking athletic discipline and education. — U.S. Speedskating has renewed its partnership with Salt Lake Community College's Beyond the Podium program, keeping tuition-free education and career counseling available to athletes. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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U.S. Speedskating has renewed its partnership with Salt Lake Community College's Beyond the Podium program, which provides athletes with tuition-free education and career counseling. The renewal was reported on November 10, 2026.

Why it matters

For student-athletes balancing elite training with schoolwork, tuition-free education and career counseling removes a major financial barrier to continuing their studies. The renewal signals that the program's support model remains in place for athletes pursuing both competition and a credential in Salt Lake City.

The Beyond the Podium program has served more than 90 student-athletes since 2017, and those participants have won a combined 11 Olympic and Paralympic medals. The source does not specify the tuition amount covered or the term of the renewed partnership.

The players

U.S. Speedskating

The national governing body for speedskating in the United States, whose athletes participate in the Beyond the Podium program.

Salt Lake Community College

A public community college in Salt Lake City, Utah, which operates the Beyond the Podium program for athletes.

The details

The partnership connects U.S. Speedskating athletes with Salt Lake Community College's Beyond the Podium program. Through the program, athletes receive a tuition-free education along with career counseling designed to help them plan for life after competition. Because the program has operated since 2017, it has built a track record of supporting athletes across training and academic demands.

2017: Beyond the Podium program began providing tuition-free education and counseling.
November 10, 2026: U.S. Speedskating's partnership renewal was reported.

Education Landscape

Dual-career support programs like Beyond the Podium address a recurring challenge for elite athletes: sustaining training while earning a degree. Programs that pair tuition support with career counseling place Salt Lake Community College among institutions that treat athletic and academic goals as connected.

If you are a student-athlete considering a training-and-school plan, ask the admissions or athletics office at a school like Salt Lake Community College what dual-career support it offers. Programs like this one can change how you plan your coursework and budget around training commitments.

The takeaway

Support that combines tuition-free education with career counseling can make it easier for athletes to pursue a credential alongside elite competition. If you are weighing that path, ask a school's financial-aid or athletics office which dual-career resources are available before you commit.