New Year Scholarship will enable 750 working adults will go back to school
LAS VEGAS — In its largest scholarship offering to date, Western Governors University (WGU) will award $1.5 million in scholarships to busy adults who would like to earn a college degree on a schedule that fits their lives, $150,000 will be awarded in Nevada.
The New Year Scholarship, valued at up to $2,000 per student and open to new students enrolling in any of the more than 60 bachelor’s and master’s degree programs offered at WGU, is designed to help more Americans build better lives for themselves and their families through higher education. Degree tracks include programs in business, information technology, education, and health professions. The application deadline is March 31, 2020.
“I had been working in industry for 25 years already and had so much knowledge and experience I was bringing to the table, so I was able to move through the program at a comfortable pace and take as many courses as I could handle at one time without changing the price of tuition,” said Gina Mastromarino, WGU Nevada graduate 2014 with a Master of Business Administration (MBA). “WGU was a great value and based on my fantastic experience, I would recommend it to anyone thinking of going back to school.”
The scholarships will be applied at the rate of $500 per six-month term, reducing already-low tuition by about 15% for the average undergraduate degree. Recipients may renew their award up to four terms. Multiple scholarships will be awarded through a competitive program based on a candidate’s academic record, financial need, readiness for online study, current competency, and other considerations.
“One of the many advantages of WGU Nevada is the ability for a student to go at his or her own pace, allowing each student to be one step closer to attaining their goals,” said Chancellor Spencer Stewart of WGU Nevada. “The New Year Scholarship is an added incentive for students looking to go back to school to make that decision to go back to school in order to enter the careers they want.”
Designed to meet the needs of adult learners, WGU’s competency-based education allows students to take advantage of their knowledge and experience to move quickly through material they already know, so they can focus on what they still need to learn. Students complete their programs by studying on schedules that fit their lives and advancing as soon as they demonstrate mastery of the subject matter. 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 progress, saving both time and money.
To learn more about WGU’s New Year Scholarship or to apply, visit wgu.edu/NY2020.
About WGU Nevada
WGU Nevada is an online, nonprofit, competency-based university established to expand Nevadans’ access to higher education throughout the state. Formed through a partnership between the state of Nevada and nationally recognized Western Governors University, WGU Nevada is open to all qualified Nevada residents. The university offers more than 50 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). WGU’s Teachers College programs are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), and its nursing programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)*.
In addition to WGU Nevada, there are five other WGU state-based, state-endorsed universities: WGU Indiana, established in June 2010; WGU Washington, established in April 2011; WGU Texas, established in August 2011; WGU Missouri, established in February 2013; and WGU Tennessee, established in July 2013. For more information, visit the WGU Nevada website, www.nevada.wgu.edu, or call 877-214-7005.
