Western Governors University Offers Scholarships to National Guard Members and Reservists

Scholarship Program Aimed at Helping Citizen Soldiers Earn Degrees Online

SALT LAKE CITY, Dec. 2, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Western Governors University, a non-profit online university recognized for being military-friendly, is offering scholarships to active National Guard Members and Reservists. The competitive scholarship program, which provides up to $1,500 to awardees, has been created to help these citizen soldiers complete bachelor's or master's degrees in Business, Information Technology, Teacher Education, or Healthcare, including Nursing.

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WGU's flexible online academics are ideal for busy military personnel who must balance job and family obligations with their studies. Because WGU is online, Guard Members and Reservists can study whenever it fits their schedules and wherever there is an Internet connection. The university's competency-based model allows students to utilize their previous education and experience to advance in their degree programs more rapidly—the average time to complete a bachelor's degree at WGU is approximately two and a half years.

Tuition at WGU is affordable, less than $5,800 per 12-month year for most degree programs. All of WGU's 50-plus online degree programs are approved for tuition assistance for active-duty, reserve, and National Guard personnel, and veterans are eligible for education benefits through the GI Bill.

Sean Coghlan, now a third grade teacher in New Jersey, completed most of the coursework for his bachelor's degree in Elementary Education while serving as a medic in the Army National Guard. Coghlan was able to study online while deployed to a combat zone in Iraq. "I've wanted to be a teacher since I can remember. For so many years it seemed like this goal was impossible," said Sean. "Being able to complete my degree while I served my country and come home to teach in my own elementary school sounds like an impossible dream, but WGU helped me make it possible."

The Reservist and National Guard Scholarship program provides recipients with $300 per six-month term for up to a maximum of five terms. Multiple scholarships will be awarded. The program is competitive, and recipients will be selected based on their academic records, readiness for online study at WGU, and current competency. For more information regarding the program, go to www.wgu.edu/nationalguard 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

Featured on the NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams, WGU is the only university in the U.S. offering competency-based degree programs and the only non-profit, fully online university with students in all 50 states. WGU offers 50 degree programs in Business, Education, Information Technology, and Healthcare Professions, including Nursing. Since its inception in 1997, WGU has grown into a national institution, serving more than 22,000 students. WGU is self-sustaining on tuition, and does not rely on state or national support to fund its operations.  

On June 11, 2010, WGU Indiana, referred to by Governor Mitch Daniels as Indiana's eighth state university, was formed through a partnership with the state. A wholly-owned subsidiary of Western Governors University, WGU Indiana is accredited through Western Governors University and is open to all qualified Indiana residents.

WGU has been selected by Military Advanced Education (MAE) for inclusion in the magazine's Fourth Annual Guide to Top Military-Friendly Colleges & Universities. WGU has been included in the guide, which provides information regarding higher education opportunities for military personnel and their spouses, since its first publication four years ago.  

WGU is regionally accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities and nationally accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC). WGU nursing programs have been accredited by the Commission for Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). 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).

The university has earned the support of more than 20 leading corporations and foundations. They include institutions such as AT&T, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Dell, the Eli Lilly Foundation, HCA, Hewlett-Packard, Lumina Foundation, Microsoft, Oracle, Qwest, SunGard Higher Education, and Zions Bank. More information is available at www.wgu.edu.

SOURCE Western Governors University