WGU Missouri Announces New Scholarships for Veterans

ST. LOUIS, Nov. 6, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In commemoration of Veterans Day and to honor all those who have served our country, nonprofit online university WGU Missouri is launching a new scholarship program to help veterans and their spouses go back to school and earn their bachelor's and master's degrees.

The WGU Salute To Veterans Scholarship, valued at up to $2,500 per student, will be applied at the rate of $625 per six-month term, renewable for up to four terms, toward WGU Missouri's already-low tuition of about $3,000 per term for most programs. WGU will award five scholarships to Missouri veterans and their spouses. Applications are being accepted now through January 31, 2016, at missouri.wgu.edu/veterans. Additional military scholarships are available for active-duty personnel and their families, at missouri.wgu.edu/militaryappreciation.

"WGU Missouri is a smart choice for veterans, offering a format where their skills and knowledge will be honored and their dollars will go further," said WGU Missouri Chancellor Angie Besendorfer. "Our online, competency-based format allows busy veterans and their families the ability to earn valuable credentials without wasting time or money."

WGU Missouri's degree programs are designed to provide the kind of flexibility that nontraditional students like veterans and their families need. WGU, its parent university, has been honored eight consecutive years by Military Advanced Education Magazine among the Top Military-Friendly Colleges and Universities and five consecutive years as a Military Friendly® School by militaryfriendly.com. Of the 62,000 students currently enrolled at WGU nationwide, more than 8,300 are active-duty military personnel, veterans, or dependent family members of military personnel.

"I have three kids, a full-time job, and am in the Navy Reserves," said Tricia Roarkin of Wildwood, Missouri, who is earning her B.S. – IT Software. "I'm very busy. WGU Missouri is about the only option right now that is feasible for me. I really appreciate the flexibility of WGU Missouri, to do it at my own pace and be able to work ahead."

WGU Missouri uses an innovative approach to earning a degree called competency-based education, which measures learning rather than time spent in class. Students earn their degrees by demonstrating mastery of the subject matter they need to know to be successful—real-world competencies developed with employer input. Designed to meet the needs of adult learners, competency-based education allows students to take advantage of their knowledge and real-world experience to move quickly through material they already know so they can focus on what they still need to learn.

The WGU Salute to Veterans Scholarship is open to new WGU Missouri students who have been officially admitted to WGU Missouri. While multiple scholarships will be awarded, it is a competitive program, and scholarships will be awarded based on a candidate's academic record, readiness for online study, and current competency, as well as other considerations. The deadline to apply is Jan. 31, 2016. For more information, visit missouri.wgu.edu/veterans.

About WGU Missouri

WGU Missouri is a competency-based, online university created to expand access to higher education for Missouri residents. The university offers more than 50 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in the fields of business, K-12 teacher education, information technology, and health professions, including nursing. WGU Missouri faculty members serve as mentors, working one-on-one with students, offering guidance, support, and individualized instruction.

Established through a partnership with nationally recognized Western Governors University, WGU Missouri is open to all qualified Missouri residents. The university is nonprofit and self-sustaining on flat-rate tuition of about $6,000 per year for most programs.

Degrees are granted under the accreditation of Western Governors University, which is accredited through the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). 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*).

More information is available at missouri.wgu.edu or by calling 855.948.8493.

*Western Governors University offers nursing programs that are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 5380, Washington DC 20036, 202-877-6791).

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Contact for enrollment information:
855-948-8493        
missouri.wgu.edu

Contact for media inquiries:                                                                            
Kelly MacNeil 
O: 314-677-2302 
[email protected]                                                                                                                                  

SOURCE WGU Missouri