WGU to Award $400,000 in Scholarships for Current and Aspiring Teachers
Nonprofit, competency-based university announces 100 scholarships to expand access to its top-ranked Teachers College
SALT LAKE CITY, March 13, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The university with the top-ranked teacher education program in the country—Western Governors University (WGU)— will award $400,000 as part of the new Excellence In Education Scholarship for aspiring and current teachers seeking a bachelor's or master's degree.
WGU will award 100 scholarships, each valued at up to $4,000 ($1,000 per six-month term renewable for up to four terms) toward WGU's already-low tuition of less than $3,000 per term for all Teachers College programs. The scholarship will be awarded to current teachers who wish to advance their education as well as aspiring teachers looking to earn their teaching license and start a career in education. Applications are currently being accepted at www.wgu.edu/excellence.
"WGU is committed to helping fill the need for dedicated, high-quality teachers across the country," said Dr. Philip A. Schmidt, Vice President and Dean of WGU's Teachers College. "And, as a pioneer of the competency-based approach to learning, WGU provides graduates with an educational experience that prepares them to succeed in their classroom on day one."
Now with more than 13,000 students and 14,000 graduates nationwide, WGU's Teachers College holds the distinction of being the first exclusively online university to earn accreditation from the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). In 2014, the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) recognized WGU for having the No. 1 secondary teacher education program in the nation. In addition, WGU is the largest producer of math and science teachers in the nation.
To be eligible for this scholarship, applicants must be newly enrolling students who have been officially admitted to the university. Applicants will be required to submit an essay and participate in an interview with a scholarship counselor. This is a competitive program, and scholarships will be awarded based on the student's academic record, readiness for online study, and current competency, as well as other considerations. The application deadline is June 30, 2015. For more information about the Excellence in Education Scholarship, visit www.wgu.edu/excellence.
About WGU
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. The online university has more than 55,000 students and 42,000 graduates in all 50 states and is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities and its teacher education programs accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). 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.
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SOURCE Western Governors University
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