BVU, Ameristar Casino Hotel Council Bluffs Forge Strategic Partnership
Collaboration with Buena Vista University provides educational benefits to Ameristar Casino Hotel Council Bluffs employees and their eligible family members.
Buena Vista University (BVU) and Ameristar Casino Hotel Council Bluffs have joined forces as Strategic Partners to help strengthen their communities and the region.
This partnership allows for employees of Ameristar Casino Hotel Council Bluffs, as well as eligible family members of full-time employees, to receive grant funding to lower the overall cost of education while enrolled in classes at BVU’s Storm Lake campus. Partner grant funding also lowers the cost per credit hour for students enrolled in BVU’s convenient online/hybrid undergraduate programs or the organizational leadership graduate program.
“We are excited to partner with BVU to offer our team members and their families another resource to continue their education,” says Ameristar Casino Hotel Council Bluffs Assistant Director of Human Resources Brandi Smith. “We are thrilled that we can combine this offering with our current tuition reimbursement benefit and our Diversity Scholarship program. As a company, we want our team members to have a long-lasting career with us whether that is here at Ameristar Council Bluffs or within our brand of 44 properties across the nation. It is wonderful to be able to provide another resource to help our team members achieve their goals.”
“We are excited to partner with BVU to offer our team members and their families another resource to continue their education.”
Ameristar Casino Hotel Council Bluffs Assistant Director of Human Resources Brandi Smith
Ameristar Casino Hotel Council Bluffs has been welcoming guests for more than 25 years to its 38,500-square-foot riverboat casino, complete with a selection of popular slot, video poker, table games, sports betting, and a recently renovated high-limit room. The business, which employs more than 500 team members, also hosts four restaurants, a cocktail lounge, and a hotel with 160 redesigned rooms.
Owned by Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc., and operated by Penn Entertainment, Inc., both of Wyomissing, Penn., Ameristar Casino Hotel Council Bluffs marks the American casino and racetrack owner’s only location in Iowa and one of nine partnerships in the Midwest. Penn Entertainment, Inc., operates a total of 44 properties in 20 states as well as online sports betting and iCasino under a portfolio of brands, including Hollywood Casino, L’Auberge, Barstool Sportsbook, and theScore Bet.
BVU has long enjoyed strong educational ties in and around Council Bluffs, home to Iowa Western Community College, a campus that has collaborated with BVU for decades. Students enrolled in a program through Iowa Western can seamlessly transfer their credits toward their bachelor’s degree at BVU. Students receive personalized support including admissions and enrollment counseling and academic advising right in Council Bluffs through BVU’s office on the Iowa Western campus.
“Buena Vista University is excited to partner with Ameristar Casino Hotel Council Bluffs to further our connection to our local communities and the greater region,” says BVU Director of Strategic Partnerships Laura Todd. “By increasing access to quality, affordable education, we can offer more opportunities to strengthen the workforce in Council Bluffs and beyond.”
For more information about BVU’s Strategic Partnerships and partner opportunities, please visit the BVU website at bvu.edu/strategic-partnerships or contact Strategic Partnerships at StrategicPartnerships@bvu.edu.