MONROE — Western Governors University (WGU) and UScellular, the fourth-largest, full-service wireless carrier in the nation, today announced they have joined forces to provide UScellular associates an affordable pathway to earning their bachelor’s or master’s degrees from WGU. Additionally, those who enroll in any of the fully online, nonprofit university’s 60-plus undergraduate or graduate degree programs, such as business and IT, will now be eligible to apply for scholarships offered through the WGU Collaborative Agreement Scholarship Fund.
The scholarships, each valued at up to $2,500, are designed for employees of WGU’s partner collaboratives who are seeking to advance their education. Each scholarship will be disbursed in increments of $625 per six-month term and can be renewed for up to four terms based on satisfactory academic performance.
“We are excited to help our associates pursue their higher education goals,” said Deirdre Drake, executive vice president and chief people officer for UScellular. “Along with our tuition reimbursement program, this is a great opportunity for our associates to help them satisfy personal education growth and potentially advance their career.”
WGU offers UScellular associates a competency-based approach to learning that allows students to take advantage of their knowledge and previous experience to quickly move through material they already know so they can focus on what they still need to learn. Students complete their programs by studying on schedules that fit their needs, advancing as soon as they demonstrate they have mastered the subject matter. This makes WGU the perfect fit for UScellular associates who are interested in earning their degrees but have previously been unable to fit traditional schooling into their busy lives. WGU faculty members work one-on-one with students as mentors, offering guidance, support and individualized instruction. While WGU’s degree programs are rigorous and challenging, competency-based learning makes it possible for students to accelerate their progress and graduate faster, saving both time and money.
“We’re pleased to provide UScellular’s hard-working associates access to affordable, high-quality, career-boosting education that will equip them with the skills they need to advance their careers,” said Dr. Terrance Hopson, Regional Director of Western Governors University. “UScellular has made an exceptional commitment to providing an array of development and growth resources to encourage its associates to embrace possibility throughout their careers and inspire them to learn new skills, and this partnership will support those efforts.”
For more information about this program, visit www.wgu.edu/uscellular.