Partnership with Western Governors University Will Increase Affordable College Options for Marylanders

By endorsing WGU's competency-based learning model, Senate Bill 839 can help Maryland reach its college completion goals

SALT LAKE CITY, March 14, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Western Governors University (WGU), www.wgu.edu, the nonprofit online university established by 19 U.S. governors, has had the same mission since its creation—to expand affordable access to quality higher education. Nationally recognized for its innovative, competency-based learning model, WGU offers accredited bachelor's and master's degree programs for about $6,000 per year. Senate Bill 839, the College Affordability and Innovation Act of 2012, which endorses competency-based education as an important component of Maryland's higher education system, will increase college opportunities for working adults throughout the state.

Now with more than 30,000 students and nearly 15,000 graduates nationwide, WGU uses an online, competency-based learning model that measures learning rather than time. This approach allows students to earn their degrees by demonstrating their mastery of subject matter rather than spending time in class to accumulate credit hours. Designed to meet the needs of adult learners, WGU's competency-based model makes it possible for students to take advantage of prior education and experience to move quickly through material they already know so they can focus on what they still need to learn. As a result, the average time to complete a bachelor's degree is 30 months.

"WGU's mission has always been to expand access to affordable postsecondary education, and our competency-based approach to learning can play an important role in helping Maryland reach the goals established in its College Completion Agenda," said WGU President Dr. Robert W. Mendenhall. "SB 839 makes a strong statement of support for our model of competency-based education and will help provide new college opportunities for the more than 650,000 Marylanders who have started, but not completed, a college degree."

About Western Governors University (WGU)

Featured on NPR's "All Things Considered," The NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams, CNN's "Schools of Thought," and in The New York Times, 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 30,000 students. WGU is self-sustaining on tuition of approximately $6,000 per 12-month year for most programs.

WGU is regionally accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities and nationally accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC). The WGU bachelor's and master's nursing degree 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 teacher licensure programs from NCATE, the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education.

In 2011, WGU received its second 21st Century Award for Best Practices in Distance learning from the United States Distance Learning Association, (USDLA). In addition, WGU President Robert W. Mendenhall was recognized for his achievements in higher education when he received the 2010 McGraw Prize in Education.

On June 11, 2010, WGU Indiana was created by Governor Mitch Daniels as Indiana's eighth state university. WGU Washington was established by the Washington State Legislature on April 22, 2011.  On August 3, 2011, the state of Texas created WGU Texas. WGU Indiana, WGU Washington, and WGU Texas are state-endorsed and offer degree programs that are accredited through Western Governors University.

The university has earned the support of more than 20 leading corporations and foundations. They include institutions such as 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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http://twitter.com/wgu  
http://www.youtube.com/WesternGovernorsUniv  
http://news.wgu.edu/news/news.xml

SOURCE Western Governors University

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