New Year, New You: WGU Offers $700,000 in Scholarships for Adults Planning to Go Back to College

SALT LAKE CITY - Western Governors University (WGU) is offering an incentive for busy adults making resolutions to earn a college degree in the new year: $700,000 in scholarships. Students who apply to WGU through March 31, 2019, are eligible to apply for the New Year, New You Scholarship, which will award up to $2,000 per student for 350 qualified new students.

The decision to go back to school can be an excellent way to transition into a new career or upskill to earn a promotion. In fact, data compiled by the Economic Policy Institute, showed that college graduates, on average, earned 56% more than high school grads in 2015. That was up from 51% in 1999 and is the largest such gap in EPI's figures dating to 1973.        

“I chose WGU for many reasons, including the cost structure, the flexibility to attend class from anywhere and on my own schedule, and most of all, the competency-based education that allowed me to advance through the program by applying prior knowledge and experience,” said Eddie Parker, MBA graduate from Jackson, Mississippi. “Since I completed my degree, I have received a number of great job offers, and I’m excited to move into this new phase of my career.”

Nonprofit and fully online, WGU offers more than 60 bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in business, K-12 teacher education, information technology, and health professions, including nursing. WGU’s learning model, competency-based education, is ideal for busy adults, allowing them to study and learn on a schedule that fits their lives. Students work through course materials with consistent, one-on-one faculty support, advancing as soon as they demonstrate that they have mastered the subject matter.

Each New Year, New You Scholarship will be awarded at the rate of $500 per six-month term, renewable for up to four terms. Students enrolling in any of WGU’s bachelor’s and master’s degree programs are eligible to apply for the scholarship. This scholarship is open to new students who have been officially admitted to WGU. While many scholarships are available through the program, applications are competitive. Awards will be based on a candidate’s academic record, readiness for online study, and current competency, as well as other considerations.

For more information on the New Year, New You Scholarship, and any additional WGU scholarships, visit http://www.wgu.edu/scholarships.

About WGU

Established in 1997 by 19 U.S. governors with a mission to expand access to high-quality, affordable higher education, online, nonprofit WGU now serves more than 110,000 students nationwide and has more than 129,000 graduates in all 50 states. Driving innovation as the nation’s leading competency-based university, WGU has been recognized by the White House, state leaders, employers, and students as a model that works in postsecondary education. In just 21 years, the university has become a leading influence in changing the lives of individuals and families, and preparing the workforce needed in today’s rapidly evolving economy. WGU is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, has been named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies, and was featured on NPR, NBC Nightly News, CNN, and in The New York Times. Learn more at www.wgu.edu.