WGU Enters Department of Defense Voluntary Education Partnership

Participation enables online university to continue serving active-duty service members using Military Tuition Assistance

SALT LAKE CITY, Dec. 15, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Military-friendly online university Western Governors University (WGU) has been accepted as a participant in the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Voluntary Education Partnership, the latest development in WGU's ongoing commitment to providing access to higher education opportunities for U.S. service members, veterans, and their families.

Earlier this year, a new DoD policy went into effect requiring institutions that participate in the Military Tuition Assistance (TA) program to have a memorandum of understanding with the department. WGU's participation means the university remains a flexible, accredited option for active-duty military members, many of whom may be eligible for this benefit to assist in paying for their education.

WGU has been selected by Military Advanced Education for inclusion in its annual Guide to Top Military-Friendly Colleges & Universities for four straight years. Designed for adult learners seeking flexible, affordable opportunities to return to school and earn a degree, WGU's accredited online degree programs are an excellent fit for veterans, service members, and their families. 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.

The university offers more than 50 online bachelor's and master's degrees in Business, Information Technology, Teacher Education, and Healthcare Professions, including Nursing.

About Western Governors University
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 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). 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 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. 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, 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  
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Contact for media inquiries:                                Contact for enrollment information:
Joan Mitchell – Director of PR                               866-225-5948        
801-428-5463                                                          www.wgu.edu  
[email protected]                   

SOURCE Western Governors University

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