Post-9/11 GI Bill Expands Veterans' Housing Stipend to Online Students

The many veterans who attend online university Western Governors University will benefit from new policy

      SALT LAKE CITY, Sept. 29, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Effective October 1, U.S. military veterans attending Western Governors University (WGU), www.wgu.edu, will be eligible for a monthly housing stipend in addition to their tuition benefits.

      The congressionally approved Post-9/11 GI Bill expands the housing stipend to veterans enrolled solely in distance learning. Under the bill, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will give a monthly stipend of up to $673.50 to eligible veterans attending WGU.

      "Providing our service men and women with a top-quality education is our duty as a nation, and these new benefits will enable more and more veterans to attend the college that best fits their needs," said WGU President Robert W. Mendenhall. "At WGU, we're proud to have been named one of the top military-friendly colleges and universities in the country for the fourth consecutive year by Military Advanced Education, and we're delighted that this new opportunity is available for our many students who are veterans of the U.S. armed forces."

      WGU's nationally recognized, fully accredited online degree programs are an excellent fit for veterans, service members, and their families. They are designed for adult learners and provide flexible, affordable opportunities 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. Six-month terms – rather than semesters – begin at the first of every month, making it easier to accommodate busy schedules. And because WGU's tuition rates are quite modest, veterans will generally be eligible for benefits that more than cover the full cost of tuition, fees, and books.

      The newly expanded housing allowance is only available for non-active-duty students who have served. The amount of the monthly stipend is $673.50 for full-time students in the VA's 100% eligibility tier, with a percentage available for veterans with lower eligibilities. WGU students qualify as full-time if they earn 8 competency units (CUs) in a graduate degree program or 18 CUs in an undergraduate program.

      Learn more at www.wgu.edu/military.

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 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 26,000 students. WGU is self-sustaining on tuition, and does not rely on state or national support to fund its operations.  

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.

In 2011, WGU received its second 21^st 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, 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.  On August 3, 2011, the state of Texas created WGU Texas. Subsidiaries of Western Governors University, 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, 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.

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Contact for media inquiries:
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Contact for enrollment information:
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SOURCE Western Governors University