WGU Thanks Military Spouses on Day Set Aside to Recognize Them

Online university honors the "force behind the force" on Military Spouse Appreciation Day

SALT LAKE CITY, May 6, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Western Governors University sends a message of appreciation to the spouses of all U.S. military service members, reservists, and National Guard on Military Spouse Appreciation Day. Military spouses serve the nation's defense through their support of our service members and their daily sacrifices.

Many military spouses have been forced to sacrifice—or at least postpone—their education while their husbands or wives are on active duty. The frequent relocations and assignments in remote locations can make it nearly impossible to attend college. WGU offers military spouses a flexible, affordable—and accessible—way to earn an online bachelor's or master's degree, no matter where the military may send them. With more than 50 accredited degree programs in Education, Business, Information Technology, and Health Professions, including Nursing, WGU offers the flexibility of online study, anytime, wherever there is an Internet connection.

Named a Top Military Friendly University by Military Advanced Education magazine, nonprofit WGU's tuition is affordable--$2,890 per six-month term for most programs. In addition, military spouses are eligible to apply for the WGU Military Spouse 'Go Further' Scholarship. This scholarship, which is valued at up to $2,000, was created for spouses of active-duty service members.

WGU's Teachers College, which offers bachelor's and master's degrees in Education, including initial teacher licensure, is particularly well-suited to the needs of military spouses. WGU is the only exclusively online university to earn NCATE (National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education) accreditation for its programs leading to teacher licensure. Teachers College graduates can be licensed in 49 of 50 states, either directly or through reciprocity agreements.

While there are many online universities offering degree programs for adults, WGU offers some important differences that make it ideal for military spouses:

• Once enrolled at WGU, students can do their studies from anywhere in the world without worrying about transferring to a new college if they relocate.
• WGU coursework is competency-based—rather than getting credit for spending time in classes, either online or in person, students advance by demonstrating competence in degree subject matter by successfully completing exams, papers, and other assessments.
• Learning resources and study materials are available all of the time, so students may study when it is convenient for them rather than at prescribed class times.
• WGU offers degree programs in high-demand fields, especially teaching and nursing, that make sense for military spouses.
• Nursing programs at WGU are CCNE accredited. An autonomous arm of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, CCNE is the foremost accrediting body for nursing schools that offer baccalaureate and graduate degrees.
• WGU's tuition, which has increased only $220 per year in the past 4 years, combined with substantial financial aid, including scholarship programs, makes it far more affordable than other, for-profit online universities.

For more information regarding scholarships and benefits for military spouses, visit www.wgu.edu/milspouse or call 1.866.225.5948.

About Western Governors University

"[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 nonprofit, fully online university with students in all 50 states. WGU offers 50 degree programs in Business, Education, Information Technology, and Health Professions, including Nursing. Since its inception in 1997, WGU has grown into a national institution, serving more than 24,000 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. WGU Washington was established by the Washington State Legislature on April 22, 2011.  Subsidiaries of Western Governors University, WGU Indiana and WGU Washington are state-endorsed and offer degree programs that are accredited through Western Governors University.

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), and its B.S. in Health Informatics is accredited by CAHIIM (Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education). WGU's Teachers College is the first and only exclusively online provider of teacher education to receive accreditation for its degree programs that lead to teacher licensure from NCATE, the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education.

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, Lilly Endowment, HCA, Hewlett-Packard, Lumina Foundation, Microsoft, Oracle, Qwest, SunGard Higher Education, and Zions Bank. More information is available at www.wgu.edu or by calling 866.225.5948.

Contact for media inquiries:
Joan Mitchell – Director of PR
801-428-5463
[email protected]

Contact for enrollment information:
866-225-5948
www.wgu.edu

SOURCE Western Governors University