Back to school for busy professionals: WGU Washington launches new scholarship

Competency-based university plans to award 25 scholarships to working adults hoping to finish their degrees.

  • BY Wire Service
  • Thursday, August 11, 2016 2:06pm
  • News
WGU Washington was established by the State Legislature in 2011 in partnership with nationally recognized and accredited Western Governors University to expand access to higher education for Washington residents.

WGU Washington was established by the State Legislature in 2011 in partnership with nationally recognized and accredited Western Governors University to expand access to higher education for Washington residents.

For the Reporter

Back-to-school season is almost here, and while young people all over the state are returning to the classroom, WGU Washington allows working-age men and women to achieve their educational goals – and earn the skills and knowledge our economy demands to remain competitive.

To smooth the pathway to high-quality higher education, the state-endorsed, online university has launched its Back-to-School Scholarship. WGU Washington’s goal is to award 25 scholarships – worth up to $2,000 each – to new students who are accepted to the university by the end of the calendar year.

To be considered, candidates must have previously completed at least 20 college credits, be admitted to WGU Washington and submit a scholarship application by Dec. 31. Applicants must also complete an essay explaining their motivation for returning to college and participate in an interview with a scholarship counselor. To learn more and apply, follow this link.

WGU Washington, the locally-based affiliate of Western Governors University (WGU), recently celebrated the fifth anniversary of its establishment by our state’s leadership as an affordable and accessible educational option. Today, nearly 9,400 Washingtonians are enrolled in either bachelor’s or master’s degree programs through the online university.

WGU Washington’s competency-based educational model is designed to meet the needs of adult learners and 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 Washington faculty members work one-on-one with students as mentors, offering guidance, support and first-rate, individualized instruction. While WGU Washington’s degree programs are rigorous and challenging, competency-based learning makes it possible for students to accelerate their programs, saving both time and money.

The Back-to-School Scholarship is a competitive program available for any of WGU Washington’s more than 50 bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in business, information technology, teacher education and health professions, including nursing. Scholarships will be awarded based on the student’s academic record, previous college experience, readiness for online study and current competency, among other considerations.

The scholarship will be applied at the rate of $500 per six-month term, renewable for up to four terms, toward WGU Washington’s already-low tuition of about $3,000 per term for most programs.


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