WGU Ohio Is Now Accepting Applications for Choose Ohio First

COLUMBUS – WGU Ohio invites applicants to apply for The Choose Ohio First scholarship, aimed at helping increase the number of Ohioans holding advanced competencies in high-demand STEMM disciplines. WGU Ohio is a participating institution offering this scholarship in conjunction with the Ohio Department of Higher Education’s Choose Ohio First Scholarship program.

Designated Choose Ohio First programs focus on undergraduate and graduate degrees in education-to-career pathways for such in-demand fields as software developer, data analyst, systems administrator, information security, and cybersecurity specialist. 

“WGU Ohio is proud to support the Ohio Department of Higher Education’s efforts to help Ohioans get the education needed for these high-demand careers,” said K.L. Allen, leader of WGU Ohio. “We are eager to welcome the first group of Choose Ohio First recipients and encourage all those interested to apply.” 

At WGU Ohio, students in all study programs follow a competency-based model of higher education, one that allows them to earn credit toward a college degree by demonstrating their mastery of a subject and its skills, rather than the one-size-fits-all measure of “seat time”—calculating a student’s progress toward a degree by the number hours that student sits in a classroom. There is no need to attend lectures or “log on” at a specific time. Instead, WGU students complete their programs by studying on schedules that fit their lives, at home and arranged to accommodate work and family obligations.  In addition to learning from instructors who are skilled in online teaching, each WGU student is assigned a dedicated faculty member to motivate and mentor them throughout the process.

Students in the Choose Ohio First exclusively benefit from:

• Institutional scholarship support
• Access to Cyber Club support
• Tutoring
• Field/internship opportunities
• Career connections
• Conference and research engagement funding
• Targeted social activities

In addition to WGU’s already low tuition, the Choose Ohio First program includes a scholarship of $2,000 per six-month term with a $2,000 WGU Ohio scholarship match for qualifying programs.

Western Governors University was established in 1997 by a partnership of 19 state governors to offer students, particularly adult learners, the chance to go to college while working and caring for their families. In 2018, Ohio became the eighth additional state to join the WGU partnership, part of policymakers’ efforts to close Ohio’s skills gap with a new pathway for adults to seek careers in such in-demand careers as healthcare and nursing, business, teaching, and information technology.  

Choose Ohio First is an initiative by the Ohio Department of Higher Education to bolster support for the next generation of Ohio STEMM scholars and industry leaders. Participating institutions award scholarships to students based on need and merit.