Western Governors University Named as a Top 20 Military Friendly University

SALT LAKE CITY, Nov. 13 -- Western Governors University (www.wgu.edu) has been selected as one of the Top 20 Military Friendly Colleges and Universities for 2008 by Military Advanced Education Magazine. This honor recognizes WGU's commitment to access and diversity of educational opportunities for both service members and their families.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081030/DC42901LOGO )

Many active-duty military and spouses find WGU's flexible degree programs a perfect fit with their sometimes tumultuous lives. With WGU's programs, spouses don't need to delay earning their degrees because of the extra family responsibilities they take on when a spouse is deployed, and, because there isn't a residency requirement, they can complete their degrees from remote locations.

Many spouses have an interest in the WGU Teachers College (http://www.wgu.edu/education/online_teaching_degree.asp), and during the past year, WGU has awarded 103 Spouses to Teachers Supplemental Scholarships (http://www.wgu.edu/tuition_financial_aid/spouses_supplement.asp) worth $1,500 each. WGU also created a broader WGU Spouses to Graduates Scholarship (http://www.wgu.edu/tuition_financial_aid/spouses_graduate_overview.asp) worth $1,500 that can be used for all the other non-teaching degrees. WGU continues its scholarships for spouses even though the Department of Defense has suspended its own Spouses to Teachers program.

WGU is among the most active schools participating in the Troops to Teachers program offering a WGU Troops to Teachers supplemental (http://www.wgu.edu/tuition_financial_aid/troops_supplement.asp) scholarship valued up to $1,500. WGU has awarded this scholarship to 51 new students.

WGU's online degree programs focus on the needs of adult learners by providing flexible, technology-based instruction. WGU's competency-based education approach makes it possible for students to complete the requirements for their degrees at a quicker pace and accelerate their programs based on their prior experience, academic background, and time commitment to study.

WGU was also named as one of the Top 30 Military Friendly Schools by Military Advanced Education Magazine in 2007.

About Western Governors University (WGU) (http://www.wgu.edu/about_WGU/overview.asp)

WGU is the only accredited online university in the U.S. offering competency-based degree programs. The private non-profit university has been a leader in online education for more than 10 years. WGU is the recipient of the USDLA 21st Century Award for Best Practices in Distance Learning for 2008, awarded in recognition of WGU's success in expanding access to higher education. WGU has been honored as one of the 2008 Top 20 Military Friendly Colleges and Universities by Military Advanced Education magazine. WGU sponsors the Online Student Survival Guide (http://onlinestudentsurvival.com/), a blog that addresses many of the questions and daily concerns online students from any online college or university face.

Now serving more than 11,000 students, WGU was founded by 19 U.S. governors, and is supported by more than 20 leading corporations and foundations. They include institutions such as AT&T, BearingPoint, Dell, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Hewlett-Packard, HCA, Microsoft, Oracle, Qwest, SunGard Higher Education, Sun Microsystems, and Zions Bank. WGU offers bachelor's and master's degrees in business, information technology, teacher education, and health professions, with students in all 50 states. More information is available at www.wgu.edu.

  Contact for media inquiries:
  Amber Podlucky - PR Coordinator
  801-290-3658
  apodlucky at wgu.edu

  Contact for enrollment information:
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