WGU and Utah Jazz Award Tuition for One Year to Four Students

SALT LAKE CITY, April 20, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Western Governors University (WGU) and the Utah Jazz teamed up to provide four Utah students with a full year of tuition. Awarded during halftime of the recent Jazz–Minnesota Timberwolves game, the scholarships will allow the students to attend WGU, an online, nonprofit university, tuition-free for one year.

The four scholarship recipients are Alex Draper, of West Jordan; Amber Lorensen, of Pleasant Grove; Michael Morrell, of Provo; and Marcus Renlund, of Salt Lake City.

All four are new enrollees at WGU and submitted an official entry form earlier in the Jazz season. Draper is earning her bachelor's degree in business health management, Lorensen is seeking her master's in nursing informatics, Morrell is earning his master's degree in educational leadership, and Renlund is pursuing his bachelor's in information technology.

Learn more about WGU's scholarship opportunities at www.wgu.edu/scholarships and by following @WGU on social media.

Renlund enrolled at WGU because he needed the flexibility of WGU's IT program while he continues to work full time on the database and software systems of an international supply chain company. He also plans to accelerate his studies and earn his degree faster, an option WGU's competency-based approach enables.

"Earning a bachelor's degree has been something that I've always wanted to do," said Renlund. "This scholarship, paired with WGU's flexibility and competency-based model will allow me to realize my goal quicker than I would at a traditional school, and save me money."

The majority of WGU students are working adults who benefit from the online university's flexibility and competency-based online degree programs, which allow students to complete courses on their schedule, advancing as soon as they are able to demonstrate mastery of the material. This, combined with affordable, flat-rate tuition of $6,000 a year for most programs, is making it possible for more students to earn degrees that are helping them advance their careers. More than 5,400 Utahns are currently enrolled at WGU, part of a growing nationwide student body of 80,000.

"The Utah Jazz support the efforts of Western Governors University to provide online educational opportunities with this free tuition program," said Steve Starks, Utah Jazz president. "Our organization believes in the intellectual and economic value of education and giving students a chance to pursue their dreams."

About WGU
Established in 1997 by 19 U.S. governors with a mission to expand access to high-quality, affordable higher education, online, nonprofit WGU now serves 80,000 students nationwide and has 80,000 graduates in all 50 states. Driving innovation as the nation's leading competency-based university, WGU has been recognized by the White House, state leaders, employers, and students as a model that works in postsecondary education. In just 20 years, the university has become a leading influence in changing the lives of individuals and families, and preparing the workforce needed in today's rapidly evolving economy. WGU is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, has been named one of Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies, and was featured on NPR, NBC Nightly News, CNN, and in The New York Times. Learn more at www.wgu.edu.

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SOURCE Western Governors University