WGU Washington Offers New Scholarship for State's Hispanic Community

Washington online university to award up to $2,000 each for active members of Hispanic community to return to school, earn bachelor's or master's degree

SEATTLE, Sept. 15, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- WGU Washington, washington.wgu.edu, has announced a new scholarship program designed to help members of the state's Hispanic community complete their bachelor's or master's degree online.

The WGU Washington Hispanic Community Scholarship Program will award competitive scholarships worth up to $2,000 for members of the Washington Hispanic community who would like to return to college and earn a degree at WGU Washington. Designed for working adults, WGU Washington is the only state-endorsed, nonprofit, online university in Washington.

"With these scholarships, we celebrate the diverse WGU Washington student body," said WGU Washington Chancellor Jean Floten. "WGU Washington's students are hard-working independent achievers, and the students who receive these scholarships will reflect those values through their active contribution to the betterment of their communities."

Tuition at WGU Washington is charged at a flat rate of less than $3,000 per six-month term for most programs. Students awarded the WGU Washington Hispanic Community Scholarships will receive $500 toward that tuition each term up to four terms. The average time to complete a bachelor's degree is two-and-a-half years. More information on the scholarship is available at washington.wgu.edu/HispanicScholarship.

To be eligible for one of the competitive scholarships, a prospective student must complete an application for admission into one of WGU Washington's bachelor's or master's degree programs in the university's four colleges – Business, Information Technology, Teachers College, or Health Professions, including Nursing. The applicant must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), interview with a WGU Washington Scholarship Counselor, and be able to demonstrate active and contributing membership in the state's Hispanic community. Applicants seeking a bachelor's degree must have an associate's degree or at least 60 credits of college-level coursework completed, and master's degree applicants must have an accredited bachelor's degree.

WGU Washington's nationally recognized, fully accredited online degree programs are designed for adult learners. They provide flexible, affordable opportunities for Washingtonians to return to school and earn a degree. Students progress through their program by demonstrating competency, not by logging classroom hours, ensuring they have the knowledge and skills they need to thrive in their chosen career fields.

About WGU Washington
WGU Washington is a competency-based, online university created to expand access to higher education for Washington residents. Formed through a partnership with Western Governors University, WGU Washington is open to all qualified Washington residents. The university offers more than 50 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in Business, Education, Information Technology, and Healthcare Professions, including Nursing.

Degrees will be granted under the accreditation of Western Governors University, which is regionally accredited through the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) and nationally accredited through the Distance Education and Training Commission (DETC). Teachers College programs are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and Nursing programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

For more information, visit the WGU Washington website washington.wgu.edu or call 1-877-214-7004.

Follow WGU:
http://www.facebook.com/wgu.edu
http://www.linkedin.com/companies/western-governors-university
http://twitter.com/wgu
http://www.youtube.com/WesternGovernorsUniv
http://news.wgu.edu/news/news.xml

SOURCE WGU Washington