New Scholarship Supports WGU's Pledge to Train More STEM Teachers

SALT LAKE CITY, June 2, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Western Governors University's online Teachers College, the United States' top producer of science and math teachers, has announced the Future STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Teachers of America Scholarship. Created to help aspiring math and science teachers, this program will offer 20 scholarships, each valued at up to $5,000, beginning immediately and continuing through September of this year. 

In a recent Eduventures study, WGU was ranked as the nation's top provider of a number of math and science teacher-preparation degrees. Earlier this year, the nonprofit, competency-based university was named a partner in 100Kin10, the national initiative to train 100,000 science, technology, engineering, and math teachers by 2021.

"Preparing effective STEM educators is a national priority, and by committing $100,000 in scholarships, WGU has shown its continued focus on developing and delivering high-quality math and science education programs," said Dr. Philip Schmidt, Dean of WGU's Teachers College.

To be eligible for the scholarship, applicants must be officially admitted to a WGU Teachers College licensure program in one of the STEM fields, complete the enrollment process, and have an interview with a scholarship counselor. The scholarship program is competitive; scholarships will be awarded based on candidate's academic record, readiness for online study at WGU, and other considerations. The $5,000 scholarship will be applied at the rate of $1,000 per six-month term, renewable for up to five terms. For more information and details on the scholarship, visit www.wgu.edu/STEMscholarship.  

Like all of WGU's degree programs, the university's NCATE-accredited teacher education programs are competency-based, an approach that focuses on measuring learning rather than time spent in class. Designed to meet the needs of busy adults with work and family obligations, competency-based learning allows students to advance as soon as they demonstrate mastery of course subject matter. Because they can move quickly through material they already know, many students can accelerate their time to graduation, the average time to earn a bachelor's degree at WGU is less than three years.

Tuition at WGU is affordable—about $3,000 per six-month term for teacher education programs—and it is charged at a flat rate, regardless of the number of courses taken. The university is committed to keeping costs as low as possible; tuition has not increased since 2008, and WGU recently announced that it would not raise tuition through June of 2015.

The following teacher licensure programs are eligible for the Future STEM Teachers of America Scholarship:

• B.A. Mathematics (5–9 or 5–12)
• B.A. Science (5–9)
• B.A. Science (Chemistry, 5–12)
• B.A. Science (Physics, 5–12)
• B.A. Science (Biological Science, 5–12)
• B.A. Science (Geosciences, 5–12)
• Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Preparation, Mathematics (5–9 or 5–12)
• Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Preparation, Science (5–9 or 5–12)
• M.A. Teaching, Mathematics (5–9 or 5–12)
• M.A. Teaching, Science (5–9 or 5–12)

WGU's Teachers College also offers master's degree and endorsement-preparation programs for already-licensed teachers. For more information about WGU's online education degree programs, visit http://www.wgu.edu/education/online_teaching_degree. 

About Western Governors University

Western Governors University is the only university in the U.S. offering accredited, competency-based bachelor's and master's degree programs at scale. Founded in 1997 by 19 U.S. governors, WGU has grown to become a national university with more than 47,000 students and 33,000 graduates in all 50 states. Recognized by President Obama as an innovative university that "awards credits based on learning, not seat time," WGU has been named one of  Fast Company's "Most Innovative Companies for 2013," and has been featured on NPR's "All Things Considered," The NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams, CNN's "Schools of Thought," and in The New York Times.

WGU is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. The Teachers College is the first exclusively online provider of teacher education to receive accreditation for its teacher licensure programs from NCATE, the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education.

A 100Kin10 partner*, WGU's Teachers College was established in 2003 with the support of the U.S. Department of Education and is nationally recognized for its math and science (STEM) education programs. WGU is currently the top producer of master's degrees in mathematics education in the United States. 

*100Kin10 is a multi-sector network addressing the national imperative to train 100,000 science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) teachers by 2021.

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SOURCE Western Governors University