WGU Announces Agreement with Nation's 5th Largest Catholic Health Care System

SALT LAKE CITY, Sept. 10, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Western Governors University (WGU) and Mercy have entered into an agreement that will offer Mercy's 40,000 employees more access to high-quality, affordable bachelor's and master's degrees. Mercy, a St. Louis-based health care provider, currently operates more than 700 locations in four states. Under the terms of the agreement, Mercy employees will receive a five percent discount (for up to two years) to pursue a bachelor's or master's degree at WGU. Employees are also eligible to apply for exclusive scholarships, valued at up to $2,500.

"The agreement with WGU provides our co-workers additional access to quality degree programs that accommodate their busy lives," said Cynthia Mercer, Mercy chief administrative officer and senior vice president. "A talented and highly-qualified workforce enables Mercy to provide excellent care to all of those entrusted to our care."

Now with more than 49,000 students living in all 50 states, WGU has more than 11,000 students enrolled in its College of Health Professions, including its popular RN to BSN program. Designed to meet the needs of working adults, WGU's competency-based learning model allows students to study and learn on their own schedules and at their own pace. Rather than spending time in classes with set times, students can move quickly through material they already know so they can focus on what they still need to learn. As a result, many students are able to accelerate their time to degree completion—the average time to bachelor's degree at WGU is less than three years.

Under the terms of the agreement, Mercy employees can receive a five percent discount on tuition for six-month terms (up to four terms). The discount will apply to any of WGU's degree programs in information technology, health care, education and business. Tuition is charged at a flat rate of $3,000 per six-month term for most programs, and terms can begin on the first day of any month. Scholarship and federal financial aid are also available to qualified students. For more information on WGU, including admissions requirements, visit www.wgu.edu/mercy. 

About Western Governors University 
Established in 1997 by a bipartisan group of U.S. governors with a mission to expand access to high-quality, affordable higher education, WGU has been recognized by the White House as what works in post-secondary education. WGU has been named one of Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies and featured on NPR, NBC Nightly News, CNN, and in The New York Times. 

WGU has earned the support of more than 20 leading corporations and foundations, including AT&T, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Lilly Endowment, HCA, Hewlett-Packard, Lumina Foundation, Microsoft, Oracle, SunGard Higher Education, and Zions Bank. More information is available at www.wgu.edu or by calling 866.225.5948.

About Mercy
Mercy is the fifth largest Catholic health care system in the U.S. and serves millions annually. Mercy includes 33 acute care hospitals, four heart hospitals, two children's hospitals, three rehab hospitals and one orthopedic hospital, nearly 700 clinic and outpatient facilities, 40,000 co-workers and more than 2,000 Mercy Clinic physicians in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. Mercy also has outreach ministries in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. For more information, please visit www.mercy.net.

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SOURCE Western Governors University