Nonprofit, competency-based university to award up to $50,000 new Teachers College scholarships

AUSTIN — Nonprofit, competency-based WGU Texas is offering scholarships to expand access to its top-ranked Teachers College in honor of Teacher Appreciation Week. Current and aspiring teachers seeking a bachelor’s or master’s degree in education can apply for these scholarships now through June 30 at texas.wgu.edu/wgulovesteachers.

Each WGU Texas Teacher Appreciation Scholarship is valued at up to $2,000, which is applied at the rate of $500 per six-month term for up to four consecutive terms. To be eligible, scholarship applicants must be officially admitted to WGU Texas, complete the scholarship application, and be interviewed by a scholarship counselor. Recipients will be selected based on their academic records, financial need and readiness for online study at WGU Texas, among other considerations.

Rachel Blust earned her B.A. in Special Education from WGU Texas in 2017. For two years, she worked as a para professional at an elementary school in Pflugerville and fell in love with teaching. She decided to return to school and earn her teaching degree. “I found out about WGU and called them. It was a perfect fit,” said Blust. “The level of encouragement I received was unprecedented. I was really blown away by everyone there—from the assessment department to IT and my mentors, they cared about how I was progressing.”

WGU Texas’ Teachers College is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and offers more than 30 bachelor’s, master’s, post-baccalaureate and endorsement-preparation programs. The college is ranked among the nation’s top one percent of secondary math education programs by the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ). In addition, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) recognized WGU’s four mathematics programs and the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) recognized WGU’s eight science programs — highlighting the quality education offered to WGU Texas students.

Blust’s experience with WGU Texas was so profound, she’s encouraged others to attend. “I feel empowered. Now I have a career I actually love every day, and I feel there are a lot of doors open to me, perhaps even teaching overseas. I have every opportunity because I earned my teaching degree.”

For more information about the WGU Texas’ Teacher Education programs, visit https://texas.wgu.edu/education/online_teaching_degree.