WGU Named a Top School by Military Advanced Education for the 8th Consecutive Year

Nonprofit, online university recognized for providing service members, their families, and veterans with affordable, flexible, supportive education

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Western Governors University

Dec 09, 2014, 12:12 ET

SALT LAKE CITY, Dec. 9, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- For the eighth year in a row, nonprofit Western Governors University (WGU) has been named a Top School by Military Advanced Education (MAE) in its upcoming 2015 Guide to Colleges & Universities. The annual guide highlights institutions that provide the best educational options and fit for military service members, veterans, and their families.

WGU was selected as a military-friendly school because it meets the needs of service members in areas such as affordability, flexibility, and online support services. WGU's online bachelor's and master's degree programs are approved for tuition assistance for active-duty, reserve, and National Guard personnel. Veterans are eligible for education benefits through the G.I. Bill. Because of WGU's affordable tuition of about $6,000 per year for most programs, veterans are generally eligible for benefits that fully cover tuition and fees.

WGU's competency-based learning model allows students to study and learn on their own schedule and at their own pace. Students can apply what they've learned at work and in previous courses to move quickly through what they already know, while taking the time they need to focus on what they still need to learn. Students who devote additional time to their studies can often accelerate their programs, saving both time and money. WGU faculty members work one-on-one with students as mentors, offering guidance, support, and individualized instruction.

The online university recently partnered with the National Military Family Association to launch a scholarship to help active-duty military personnel, their spouses, and veterans go back to school to complete bachelor's or master's degrees. The WGU Military Appreciation Scholarship, which remains open through February 2015, is valued at up to $2,000 per student and will be applied at a rate of $500 per six-month, renewable for up to four terms.

"WGU recognizes the sacrifices our military members and their families have made through service to our country and is proud to provide flexible and affordable opportunities as they improve their lives through education," said Gail Iversen, manager of Military and Veteran Benefits at WGU.

WGU is consistently recognized as a military-friendly school. In addition to MAE's recognition, the nonprofit recently was honored for the fifth consecutive year as a Military Friendly® School by G.I. Jobs Magazine. Of the 52,000 WGU students currently enrolled nationwide, more than 3,000 are active-duty military personnel, veterans, or dependent family members of military personnel.

WGU offers more than 50 accredited online bachelor's and master's degree programs in the high-demand fields of business, information technology, teacher education, and health professions, including nursing. For more information about WGU and military or veterans' benefits, visit www.wgu.edu/military.

About Western Governors University
Established in 1997 by a bipartisan group of U.S. governors with a mission to expand access to high-quality, affordable higher education, WGU has been recognized by the White House as what works in post-secondary education. The nation's first competency-based university, which is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, has more than 52,000 students and 40,000 graduates in all 50 states. WGU has been named one of Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies and featured on NPR, NBC Nightly News, CNN, and in The New York Times.

WGU has earned the support of more than 20 leading corporations and foundations, including 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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SOURCE Western Governors University