Gov. Eric Holcomb has stated that 2 million Hoosiers will need additional training to compete in the 21st century workforce, and that there will be over 1 million job openings in Indiana due to retirements and the creation of new jobs by 2025. In an effort to help prepare Indiana’s 21st century workforce for these careers, WGU Indiana will award 15 new $2,000 2020 Vision Scholarships to students pursuing bachelor’s or master’s degrees at the competency-based university. Applications are now being accepted for these scholarships, through Dec. 31, 2017.
“As Indiana makes steady job gains, we need partners to provide a deep pool of talent for employers,” said Blair Milo, Indiana Secretary of Career Connections and Talent. “WGU Indiana plays an important role in educating our workforce. This scholarship will inspire even more Hoosiers to advance in their careers and help take our state to the next level.”
WGU Indiana’s online degree programs enable students to complete courses as soon as they demonstrate that they have mastered the content, allowing them to move quickly through material they already know and spend more time on what they still need to learn. As a result, many students are able to accelerate their studies, finishing faster and saving money. The average time to complete a WGU Indiana bachelor’s degree is about two-and-a-half years. WGU Indiana’s tuition of about $6,000 a year for most degree programs makes it more affordable for working adults to go back to school.
“WGU Indiana’s goal is to prepare Hoosiers for the needs of the modern workforce,” said WGU Chancellor Allison Barber. “We offer flexible and affordable options for Hoosiers to get the education and training they need. We are the talent solution for employers throughout the state, and these 2020 Vision Scholarships will make a WGU Indiana education available to more motivated students who want to change their lives.”
WGU Indiana offers more than 50 undergraduate and graduate online degree programs in business, education, information technology and healthcare, including nursing. The non-profit university’s competency-based model allows students to accelerate through coursework at their own pace.
According to a 2016 Harris Poll, 95 percent of WGU graduates are employed, 87 percent of them in their degree field. According to a 2016 Gallup study, WGU graduates are more likely than graduates from other U.S. universities to have the jobs they want, feel engaged at work and have an emotional attachment to their alma mater. In 2012, the Indiana Commission for Higher Education recognized WGU Indiana for its contributions to the Commission’s “Reaching Higher, Achieving More” agenda for excellence in academic quality.
In 2017, the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) again named WGU’s secondary teacher preparation program among the best in the nation for quality, ranking WGU in the top seven among 2,400 schools.
WGU Indiana has helped more than 5,000 Hoosiers achieve their dream of completing a college degree. Another 5,000 students are currently enrolled. For information about WGU Indiana’s degrees and scholarships, visit indiana.wgu.edu.
