Unlocking Your Potential: A Guide to WGU Back-to-School Scholarships
Western Governors University (WGU) is committed to making higher education more affordable and accessible, especially for adult learners returning to school. Scholarships are a cornerstone of this commitment, providing financial assistance to help students achieve their educational goals. WGU offers a variety of scholarships, including the Back-to-School Scholarship, to help students manage the cost of their degree.
WGU's Commitment to Affordable Education
WGU distinguishes itself through its competency-based education model and its commitment to keeping tuition costs low. WGU charges tuition per six-month term rather than per credit, enabling students to control the cost of their degree by progressing at their own pace. Competency-based courses allow students to demonstrate existing knowledge and advance more quickly through their programs.
Back-to-School Scholarship: An Opportunity for New Students
The $3,000 Back-to-School Scholarship is designed to help students graduate on a budget that suits their needs. This scholarship is just one of many opportunities WGU offers to make education more affordable.
Eligibility and Application Process
To be considered for WGU scholarships, you must be provisionally accepted as a WGU student. Once accepted, students gain access to the scholarship application through their MyWGU student portal, using the credentials provided after completing the initial application step.
Selection Criteria
The Back-to-School Scholarship is a competitive program where multiple scholarships will be awarded. Scholarships will be awarded based on the student’s academic record, previous college experience, readiness for online study, current competency, as well as other considerations.
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Application Deadline
For specific deadlines, like the October 31, 2015, deadline mentioned for WGU Missouri, it's crucial to check the WGU website for the most current information.
Additional Scholarship Opportunities
WGU provides a range of scholarship opportunities made possible through the generous support of companies, foundations, partner organizations, and individuals, including WGU alumni, faculty, and staff.
Federal Financial Aid
Students may also choose to pay for their degree through federal financial aid, subject to eligibility. Options include Pell Grants, which do not have to be repaid and are granted based on financial need, and Federal Direct Student Loans, which are available to most students.
Competency-Based Education: A Flexible Approach
WGU Missouri, and WGU as a whole, 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.
Benefits for Adult Learners
Designed to meet the needs of adult learners, 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. WGU faculty members work one-on-one with students as mentors, offering guidance, support, and individualized instruction.
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Flexibility and Accelerated Learning
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. Students complete their programs by studying on schedules that fit their lives, advancing as soon as they demonstrate that they have mastered subject matter.
WGU Missouri: Expanding Access to Education
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. Established through a partnership with nationally recognized Western Governors University, WGU Missouri is open to all qualified Missouri residents. Degrees are granted under the accreditation of Western Governors University, which is accredited through the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU).
Overcoming Barriers to Access
WGU believes that while talent is universal, access to opportunity is not. That's why WGU has made a commitment to increase access to education, making it possible for individuals to improve their lives and the lives of their families by earning a college degree online.
Online Access Scholarship
If selected, the Online Access Scholarship will provide recipients with the technology they need to pursue an online degree. The scholarship will provide recipients with equipment that will eliminate barrier to internet access.
Scholarship Requirements
Before any devices are distributed, Online Access Scholarship recipients must read the WGU Student Handbook and agree to and understand the academic progress, tuition, and refund policies. The student will also be required to agree to the WGU Online Access Scholarship Terms and Conditions before any devices are distributed. The student must maintain a cumulative Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) percentage of greater than 66.67% each term to maintain scholarship eligibility.
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Realizing Dreams of a College Education
It’s back-to-school time across America, but just because classes have already started on traditional campuses doesn’t mean it’s too late for busy working adults to realize their dreams of a college education this fall.
WGU Scholarship Awards
In August 2018, Western Governors University (WGU) announced it would award $750,000 in scholarships to aspiring students who apply to WGU by September 30, 2018. The scholarships were applied at the rate of $500 per six-month term, renewable for up to four terms.
Student Success Stories
Recent WGU graduate Nicole Ibarra-Vogel shared, “After working for three years as a teaching assistant, I knew I wanted to go to back to school to earn my bachelor’s degree so that I could make an even bigger difference in the lives of my students.”
Master Your Future with WGU
Getting your master's degree can be more affordable than ever. WGU's low, flat-rate tuition is charged per six-month term, not per credit. WGU’s degree programs are also built to be flexible and to fit the lives of busy working adults. In most cases, you’ll complete courses on your schedule, with 24/7 online access to learning materials and the ability to take tests as soon as you know the material well.
Proven Results
In a Harris Poll from 2024, WGU graduates reported an average increase in income of $22,200 within two years of graduation, compared with their pre-enrollment salary.
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