WGU Texas Announces $50,000 in Scholarships for Veterans, Military Service Members, and their Families

AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- To honor all those who have served our country, nonprofit, online university WGU Texas is offering up to $50,000 in scholarships for veterans, active-duty military, reservists, and military family members who want to earn a bachelor's or master's degree in high-demand fields including IT, business, K-12 education, and health professions, including nursing. WGU Texas is accepting applications through January 31, 2018, for the WGU Salute to Veterans Scholarship.

Each Salute to Veterans Scholarship is valued at up to $2,500—$650 per six-month term for up to four terms and is part of $500,000 in scholarships offered to new students throughout the country through WGU Texas' parent university, Western Governors University.

2017 WGU Texas graduate and El Paso resident Michael Arias joined the Army at 19 and began attending college while stationed in Iraq. "When I was fresh out of high school, there was no dream of earning my college degree. While in Iraq, I literally risked my life to obtain my education," said Arias. He became an Army recruiter and earned his bachelor's and a master's of business administration from WGU Texas. He credits WGU's flexible programs for his success. "If someone had asked me ten years ago if I would go through long nights in the field, risking my safety to earn my degree, I would have laughed—now I have an MBA."   

Today, more than 16 percent of WGU Texas' students are active-duty military personnel, veterans, or dependent family members of military personnel. That's more than 1,500 students and another 737 graduates. Western Governors University has been recognized for ten consecutive years by Military Advanced Education & Transition as a "Top School" and for seven consecutive years as a Military Friendly^® School.

"WGU Texas has a long history of giving back and showing our appreciation to veterans," said WGU Texas Chancellor Steven Johnson. "We're continuing that tradition by supporting the academic and career goals of veterans, active-duty service members and their families, and helping them obtain the quality education they deserve and need to succeed in their careers."

All WGU programs are competency-based, providing the flexibility veterans and their families need. 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. WGU faculty members work one-on-one with students as mentors, offering guidance, support, and individualized instruction. While WGU's degree programs are rigorous and challenging, competency-based learning makes it possible for students to accelerate their programs, saving both time and money.

The WGU Salute to Veterans Scholarship is open to new students who have been officially admitted to WGU and are a U.S. military veteran, active-duty or retired military, reservist, military spouse or children. While multiple scholarships will be awarded, this 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.

About WGU Texas
WGU Texas is an online, nonprofit, competency-based university established to expand Texans' access to higher education throughout the state. Formed through a partnership between the state of Texas and nationally-recognized Western Governors University, WGU Texas is open to all qualified Texas residents. The university offers more than 60 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in the high-demand career fields of business, K-12 teacher education, information technology, and health professions, including nursing. Degrees are granted under the accreditation of Western Governors University, which is accredited through the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). Learn more at texas.wgu.edu

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Contact for media inquiries:
Kathy Koza, PR Manager
512.225.6644 or 214.674.8057 (c)
[email protected] 

Contact for enrollment information:
877.214.7011
texas.wgu.edu

SOURCE WGU Texas

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http://texas.wgu.edu/