WGU North Carolina Signs Partnership Agreement with Caldwell County Schools

LENOIR – WGU North Carolina, an affiliate of online nonprofit Western Governors University (WGU), has signed a partnership agreement with Caldwell County Schools that will provide scholarships of up to $4,800 to qualified Instructional Assistants interested in earning bachelor’s degrees that lead to teacher licensure. Scholarship winners will receive tuition credit of $800 per six-month term, renewable for up to six terms, after any Pell Grants have been exhausted. 

WGU is accredited through the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). WGU’s Teachers College is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) and the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP). Tuition is around $3,250 per term for most WGU undergraduate degree programs, and students can take as many classes within a term as they and their assigned mentors are comfortable with.

Additionally, as part of the partnership, all Caldwell County Schools employees are eligible to apply for WGU Institutional Partner Scholarships valued at $2,000 ($500 per six-month term, renewable for up to four terms). 

“We are excited to add WGU to our list of partners,” said Dr. Donald Phipps, Superintendent of Caldwell County Schools. “This partnership will provide our Instructional Assistants who want to become teachers another resource to accomplish that goal. The financial incentive, for those who qualify, will relieve a barrier for some. The online component may also eliminate a barrier that would stand in the way of someone reaching this goal.”

“We recognize the need for school systems across North Carolina to recruit excellent teachers,” said Kimberly Estep, Vice President of the Southeast Region for WGU. “This grow-your-own scholarship initiative will keep motivated Instructional Assistants in Caldwell County while they take the necessary steps to earn their teaching license and advance their career.”

Designed to meet the needs of adult learners, WGU’s competency-based learning model 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 with schedules that fit their lives, advancing as soon as they demonstrate mastery of the subject matter. More than 3,900 students across North Carolina are currently enrolled in WGU, and more than 900 graduates of WGU’s Teacher College live in the state. 

For more information about WGU North Carolina, visit nc.wgu.edu. For information about Caldwell County Schools, visit www.caldwellschools.com. 

About Caldwell County Schools.

The Caldwell County School System is a nationally accredited public school district enrolling 11,000 students in grades Pre-K-13. The school system operates 25 schools with the vision that “every student will graduate from high school, be globally competitive for work or postsecondary education, and be prepared for life in the 21st century.” Learn more at www.caldwellschools.com.