September Enrollments at WGU Washington More than Double Last Year's

Working adults head back to school in record numbers at Washington online university

SEATTLE, Aug. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Bucking the trend in online university enrollments, WGU Washington, washington.wgu.edu, will enroll approximately 350 new students in September alone, an increase of nearly 110 percent over the same month last year. This dramatic increase is in sharp contrast to most other online universities, where new enrollments have declined by 20 to 40 percent for the past two years. WGU Washington, a nonprofit, fully online university that enrolls new students every month, currently has more than 3,000 students statewide.

WGU Washington was established last year by the Washington Legislature in partnership with nationally recognized Western Governors University (WGU), with the goal of expanding access to quality higher education, particularly for working adults. The university offers more than 50 accredited bachelor's and master's degree programs in the high-demand fields of business, K-12 teacher education, information technology, and health professions, including nursing.

WGU Washington's competency-based learning model measures learning rather than time, allowing students to earn their degrees by demonstrating their mastery of subject matter rather than spending time in class to accumulate credit hours. This approach makes it possible for students to take advantage of prior education and work experience to move quickly through material they already know so they can focus on what they still need to learn. Faculty members serve as mentors, working with students individually to help them work through course materials, plan their studies, and ensure their success.

"Every month since we opened our virtual doors last July, the number of students enrolling at WGU Washington has shown strong, consistent growth," said Jean Floten, WGU Washington's chancellor. "This university is achieving what it was created to do: give thousands of busy, hard-working Washingtonians the opportunity to further their careers and better their lives with a college degree."

About WGU Washington 
WGU Washington was established by the State Legislature in partnership with nationally recognized and accredited Western Governors University to expand access to higher education for Washington residents. The nonprofit university, which receives no funds from the state, offers 50 bachelor's and master's degree programs in Business, Information Technology, Teacher Education, and Health Professions, including Nursing. The university's online, competency-based learning model is designed to meet the needs of working adults by providing an affordable, flexible option for earning an accredited, respected college degree.

Degrees are 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).

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.

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

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