No Tuition Increase at Western Governors University for 7th Straight Year

NASHVILLE, Tenn., May 19, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As college costs continue to increase at several times the rate of inflation, Western Governors University (WGU)—parent university of WGU Tennessee—is committing to holding the line on tuition and fees for the seventh straight year. Online and competency-based, WGU's tuition is charged at a flat rate of $2,890 per six-month term for most programs, regardless of the number of courses completed. And, while the average cost of books and materials at other colleges is nearly $1,200 per year, WGU's $145 resource fee includes access to e-textbooks for all courses.

At WGU Tennessee, the average time to complete a bachelor's degree is just 34 months, so the average cost of a bachelor's degree is about $18,000. As a result, the average WGU Tennessee student debt at completion of a bachelor's degree is nearly $10,000 less than the national average.

With more than 46,000 students and 35,000 graduates nationwide, WGU is the pioneer and leader in competency-based education. The online university offers more than 50 bachelor's, master's, and post-baccalaureate degree programs in business, information technology, K-12 teacher education, and health professions, including nursing. Designed to meet the needs of busy adults, competency-based education allows students to earn respected, accredited degrees without sacrificing work and family obligations. Rather than spending an entire semester in each class, students study and learn online with one-on-one faculty support, moving at a pace personalized to their individual schedules and learning styles. Because they earn credit for courses and advance as soon as they demonstrate their mastery of the subject matter, many students are able to accelerate their time to completion, saving time and money.

For more information on WGU's tuition, visit www.wgu.edu/tuition2014.

For information on WGU's online degree programs, visit www.wgu.edu/programs2014.

About WGU Tennessee 
WGU Tennessee is an online, nonprofit, competency-based university established to expand Tennesseans' access to higher education throughout the state. Formed through a partnership between the state of Tennessee and nationally recognized Western Governors University, WGU Tennessee is open to all qualified Tennessee residents. The university offers more than 50 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in the high-demand career fields of business, K-12 teacher education, information technology, and health professions, including nursing.

Degrees are granted under the accreditation of Western Governors University, which is accredited through the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). Teachers College programs are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), and nursing programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).*

In addition to WGU Tennessee, there are four other WGU state-based, state-endorsed universities: WGU Indiana, established in June 2010; WGU Washington, established in April 2011; WGU Texas, established in August 2011; and WGU Missouri, established in February 2013.

For more information, visit the WGU Tennessee website, http://tennessee.wgu.edu/, or call 855-948-8495.

*Western Governors University offers nursing programs that are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 5380, Washington, DC 20036, 202-877-6791).

Follow WGU Tennessee:
http://www.facebook.com/wgutennessee
http://www.linkedin.com/companies/western-governors-university
http://twitter.com/wgutennessee
http://www.youtube.com/wgutennessee

Contact for media inquiries:      
Kirk Graves – PR Manager      
615-472-6055        
[email protected]

Contact for enrollment information:
855-948-8495
tennessee.wgu.edu

SOURCE WGU Tennessee