Shaq Riding In School Bus, Encourages Papa John's Employees To Get Degrees

Shaq hit the road in a bright yellow bus, driving straight to a Papa John's restaurant ... to talk with team members about how they can get a free degree.

A rep for Papa John's tells TMZ ... Shaq, who's a board member and franchisee owner, drove around ATL in a customized school bus Friday, heading to a restaurant in the area to talk about the company's education offer.

He chatted with team members about the importance of continuing their college education -- he's even inviting them to earn a degree, with all tuition and fees paid by Papa John's through the Dough & Degrees program.

The program makes it possible for Papa John's team members to go to school at no cost -- tuition, books and fees are completely covered. While other programs will reimburse students, the company is making sure they take care of the costs upfront.

It covers degrees from Associates to Masters ... over 60 team members have graduated debt-free in a variety of fields since the program Dough & Degrees launched in 2019.

Shaq's no stranger to Papa John's or Atlanta -- he invested in 9 local restaurants a few years back, looking to simply give back to the community.