DURHAM — The Teachers College at Western Governors University’s School of Education will mark American Education Week (Nov. 13-17, 2023) by announcing its WGU Loves Teachers and Become a Teacher scholarship programs for current and future education professionals who wish to pursue bachelor’s or master’s degrees. WGU is an accredited online university with nearly 8,000 graduates and 991 current Teachers College students in North Carolina.
Each WGU Loves Teachers and Become a Teacher scholarship is valued up to $4,000 and designed to help current teachers improve their skill set in the classroom or move into administration, and support future teachers in obtaining the required credentials to start a rewarding career as an educator. The accredited, nonprofit college’s commitment to keeping costs lowered reduces the need for student borrowing, resulting in average graduate debt that is about half the national average. As a nonprofit school, WGU’s tuition is around $8,000 per year, and students can accelerate at their own pace with the approval of their program mentor.
According to teachershortages.com, North Carolina had 3,619 K-12 teaching vacancies across the state for the 2022-2023 school year. That equates to about 24 vacancies for every 10,000 students, placing North Carolina in the third quartile nationally for teacher vacancies. Additionally, North Carolina had 3,618 underqualified teachers last academic year, representing individuals who were not fully certified to state standards (e.g., provisional, temporary or emergency certification, long-term substitutes, etc.).
“WGU is committed to helping states attract, retain and advance qualified teachers across the spectrum of urban to rural areas,” said Ben Coulter, Ed.D., who serves as chancellor of WGU North Carolina and director of the Southeast Region for WGU. “We help by providing access, support, financial assistance, mentorships and teacher placements enabling full-time students or working adults to fulfill their desire to become teachers and lead the next generation of students in North Carolina.”
In the last 20 years, WGU’s Teachers College has conferred degrees to more than 91,000 graduates across all 50 states, including more than 1,500 in North Carolina. The college provides a broad portfolio of dozens of degree pathways in a student-centered, competency-based model with flexible scheduling to learn where and when students want within each six-month term. This enables students to progress through their courses as soon as they demonstrate skills mastery.
Prospective and enrolling WGU students may apply for the WGU Loves Teachers and the Become a Teacher scholarship by visiting www.wgu.edu/aew.
WGU’s Teachers College programs have been continuously accredited since 2006. They are currently accredited by both the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation and the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation, a prestigious combination of accreditations. To learn more about WGU’s Teachers College and its academic programs, visit www.wgu.edu/online-teaching-degrees.
