Scholarships Available Exclusively for Utah Teachers

SALT LAKE CITY -- Thirty scholarships are now available through Western Governors University for certified Utah teachers wanting to earn a master's degree while continuing to teach. Applications may be completed online at www.wgu.edu/ut.

Western Governors University, a non-profit institution, has degree programs delivered entirely online to Utah teachers. The scholarships are available for currently certified K-12 teachers who wish to pursue a Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree, Master of Arts in Mathematics Education, or a Master of Arts in Science Education. They provide $800 per six-month term and can be used for up to five terms for a total of $4,000.

Western Governors University hopes to aid in the need to provide advanced degrees and endorsement programs for Utah teachers. With principles of instruction being imposed by federal mandates, many teachers are looking to further their education in order to meet instructional standards. The scholarships made available by WGU will help teachers remain in the classroom while seeking to further their education.

Western Governors University offers a unique educational experience as each student works with a faculty mentor who guides the student through his or her customized degree program. Scholarship recipient Thomas Marker, an algebra and geometry teacher at Timpview High School, chose WGU because he needed a flexible program that would allow him to incorporate graduate study into his already hectic lifestyle. Marker also indicated that he wasn't willing to sacrifice a quality education for the sake of convenience — at WGU, Marker said, he did not have to sacrifice anything.

Applications should be submitted as soon as possible. The university hopes to award all the scholarships before year end. Programs begin on the first day of every month.