NEWRY – John Grigsby wanted to take a year off after high school to ski and earn money. But his parents feared he’d never go to college if he didn’t begin classes right away.

So the 19-year-old Portland man compromised: He’d take college courses at Sunday River ski resort at night, coach young skiers during the day, and hit the slopes on the weekend.

“The best part is being able to wake up and ski,” he said. “But I’m also getting to coach and earn money and take classes.”

Grigsby is one of 20 students enrolled at the College of Lifelong Learning at Sunday River, a partnership of the resort and the University System of New Hampshire. The program, which debuted this fall and recently wrapped up its first semester, offers bachelor’s degrees in science and management and associate degrees in science, business and the arts.

Sunday River, home of American Skiing Co., benefits by attracting more workers, enticing seasonal workers to stay longer and creating a better-educated pool of workers to promote from within.

Students get to take classes in a lodge with a crackling fireplace, gain on-the-job training, and zip down powdery trails during study breaks.

“Learn, earn and ski – that’s really the selling point,” said Tom Edgerton, one of the program’s recruiters.

The program generally suits three types of students – high school graduates or college students who want to take a year off to ski or earn money; local residents who want to take classes but need to work; and Sunday River employees who want to continue their education. The resort offers tuition reimbursement for up to nine classes, for both seasonal and year-round full-time employees.

It was an opportunity that resort employee Lisa Jacques couldn’t turn down.

“The people here are so, so supportive. I answer the phone and people ask me how my test went. Someone in the office proofreads my papers,” she said.

While a ski resort may seem like an unlikely hall of learning, the courses are stringent and the faculty is committed, said Barney Keenan, director of the College of Lifelong Learning.

“If you’re just looking to be a ski bum, this is not the place for you,” he said. “This is an ideal opportunity for someone who wants to work and wants to ski and wants to learn.”

Still, it’s not all work and no play.

“Come hang out at a ski resort sometime. We can rival any frat party,” said Chip Seamans, the resort’s managing director.

Amy Chapman, 41, of Newry longed to complete her college education but loathed the idea of driving an hour or more to the nearest campus. Though she’ll eventually need to finish her degree at another college, the classes she takes at Sunday River get her one step closer.

“I wanted to take classes but I just couldn’t cope with the idea of driving to Berlin [N.H.] in the winter. But now I can take classes here and it’ll give me the push to go somewhere to finish my degree.”

Similar programs are offered at ski resorts in Canada, and a smaller, more private program recently opened in Killington, Vt., Keen said. However, this is the only publicly funded degree program that he knows of, he said.

The program offers five classes in the fall and spring sessions and three during the resort’s busy season between December to April. Tuition is $164 per credit for New Hampshire residents, and $186 per credit for students who live outside of New Hampshire.

The program slowly is taking off, Keenan said. One prospective student hitchhiked from Connecticut to be interviewed, while another drove from Poughkeepsie, N.Y., he said.

For now, he’s focusing on students in Maine and New Hampshire.

“I told this girl who was working in a McDonald’s about the program and her eyes just lit up,” he said.