Online University Offers RNs Up to $5,000 Toward Bachelor's or Master's Degree Programs

SALT LAKE CITY, Dec. 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Despite the current recession, the shortage of registered nurses in the U.S. is projected to grow to 260,000 by 2025. The rapidly aging workforce, an increasing demand for healthcare as baby boomers age, and an inadequate supply of qualified nurse educators and managers are all factors contributing to this critical shortage. To help address the demand for baccalaureate and master's trained RNs, Western Governors University(www.wgu.edu) has created the WGU Future of Nursing Scholarship Program. The CCNE-accredited, non-profit university will award 20 scholarships each valued at up to $5,000 ($1,000 per six-month term up to five terms) to working nurses who wish to attend college online to become educators, managers, and leaders in the healthcare field.

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Eligible degrees include:

• B.S. Nursing (RN to BSN)
• M.S. Nursing--Education (BSN to MSN)
• M.S. Nursing--Education (RN to MSN Option)
• M.S. Nursing--Leadership and Management (BSN to MSN)
• M.S. Nursing--Leadership and Management (RN to MSN Option)

"WGU is committed to addressing critical workforce shortages by offering challenging degree programs in high-need fields," said WGU President Robert W. Mendenhall. "Our online, competency-based degree programs, which have been developed in collaboration with healthcare industry experts, are designed for working adults who are committed to advancing in their professions. By offering these scholarships, we hope to enable dedicated nurses to move forward in their careers."

To be eligible for the WGU Future of Nursing Scholarship, applicants must possess an unencumbered RN license and an associate's degree or diploma in nursing, or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). Scholarships will be awarded on a competitive basis--applicant G.P.A., letters of recommendation, telephone interview, and essay will be considered. For more information regarding the scholarship, go to www.wgu.edu/nursingscholarship or call 1-866-225-5948.

About Western Governors University (WGU)

"[WGU is] the best relatively cheap university you've never heard of."- TIME magazine

Recently featured on the NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams, WGU is the only online university in the U.S. offering competency-based degree programs. WGU courses are academically rigorous and designed for adults who are motivated and committed to earning a degree that supports their career objectives and meets the needs of employers. WGU has more than 16,000 students in all 50 states and offers more than bachelor's, post-baccalaureate, and master's degree programs in Business, Information Technology, Education, and Health Professions.

WGU nursing programs have been accredited by the Commission for Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). WGU is nationally accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC) and regionally accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, one of the major accrediting commissions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). In addition, WGU's Teachers College is the first and only exclusively online provider of teacher education to receive accreditation from the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).

WGU was founded by 19 U.S. governors, and is supported by more than 20 leading corporations and foundations. They include institutions such as AT&T, BearingPoint, Dell, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Hewlett-Packard, HCA, Microsoft, Oracle, Qwest, SunGard Higher Education, Sun Microsystems, and Zions Bank. More information is available at www.wgu.edu.

Contact for media inquiries:
----------------------------
Joan Mitchell - Director of PR
801-428-5463
jmitchell@wgu.edu

Contact for enrollment information:
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866-225-5948

SOURCE Western Governors University

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