Nation’s largest college of education provides special financial aid opportunities to help address national teacher shortage
AUSTIN (NOVEMBER 8, 2023) — To celebrate American Education Week, November 13-17, the Teachers College at Western Governors University’s (WGU) School of Education announces 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 degree programs in the Teachers College.
“Teaching is a noble profession, and we’re proud to boost support for our nation’s educators with these scholarships,” said Stacey Ludwig Johnson, Ph.D., the senior vice president of WGU and executive dean of the School of Education. “Since its founding 20 years ago, our Teachers College has invested in the development of future educators and school leaders, and we are thrilled to offer opportunities to help our students pursue their academic and professional goals.”
Each WGU Loves Teachers and Become a Teacher scholarship is valued up to $4,000 and designed to help enhance the teacher pipeline, improve teachers’ skill sets, and support future teachers in obtaining the required credentials to start a rewarding career as an educator. The accredited, nonprofit college’s commitment to lowering costs reduces the need for student borrowing, resulting in an average graduate debt of about half the national average. The Become a Teacher Scholarship also includes a $1500 stipend for student teaching expenses.
According to data from WGU, Texas has an unmet need of about 23,000 teachers for the 2022-23 school year; K-12 classrooms account for almost half of those needs. The Texas Education Agency reported that about 10% of teachers leave the field every year, and as many as 13.5% left in 2022. The need for qualified teachers is so great that the governor’s office established the Teacher Vacancy Task Force (TVTF) in 2022 to examine teacher retention and recruitment challenges across Texas. Their top recommendations include improving the pipeline and pathways for paraprofessionals and others seeking to become teachers and expanding training and support.
Linda Battles, regional vice president of WGU South, said, “Students deserve to have quality teachers who believe in them and help them reach their full potential. We’re doing our part by ensuring our educators are successful and growing professionals with little debt.” She said, “As our most precious workforce, we must ensure that we have an abundant supply to meet the needs of schools across the state.”
In the last 20 years, the Teachers College has conferred degrees to more than 91,000 graduates across all 50 states, 5,800 in Texas, with 3,200 currently enrolled in Teachers College who will join their ranks. The college provides an extensive array 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. Students can 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 wgu.edu/aew.
WGU’s Teachers College has maintained continuous accreditation since 2006, holding dual accreditations from the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) and the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP), a prestigious combination of accreditations. To learn more about WGU’s Teachers College and its academic programs, visit wgu.edu/online-teaching-degrees.
About WGU
Established in 1997 by 19 U.S. governors with a mission to expand access to high-quality, affordable higher education, online, nonprofit WGU now serves more than 152,000 students nationwide and has more than 340,000 graduates in all 50 states. Driving innovation as the nation’s leading competency-based university, WGU has been recognized by the White House, state leaders, employers and students as a model that works in postsecondary education. In less than 30 years, the university has become a leading influence in changing the lives of individuals and families, and preparing the workforce needed in today’s rapidly evolving economy. WGU is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, has been named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies, and has been featured on NPR, NBC Nightly News and CNN and in The New York Times. Learn more at wgu.edu and wgu.edu/impact.
About The WGU School of Education
The WGU School of Education, the largest nonprofit, accredited school of education in the country, is a champion of next-generation teaching, learning, and leading. The school is comprised of the Teachers College and the College of General Education, providing a proven, student-centered, competency-based model. The Teachers College currently offers 30 graduate and undergraduate programs, including several programs for initial licensure preparation, and currently enrolls about 41,000 active degree-seeking students. The College of General Education’s innovative portfolio of learning experiences prepares students to succeed in any degree program, as well as any choice of career, by building the knowledge and skills employers seek. The College of General Education serves students starting their degrees in the WGU Teachers College as well as the College of Business, the College of Information Technology, and the Leavitt School of Health.
