LENOIR — WGU North Carolina, an affiliate of the national online nonprofit Western Governors University, has signed a partnership agreement with Caldwell UNC Health Care that will provide scholarship opportunities to employees seeking to advance their personal education goals in healthcare, business or IT, and improve their professional skills.

Employees of Caldwell UNC Health Care will be eligible to apply for scholarships valued at $2,500 offered through the WGU Healthcare Partner Fund. Recipients will receive a tuition credit each term, renewable for up to four terms based on satisfactory academic performance. Employees can learn more about the offerings at www.wgu.edu/caldwellunc.

Additionally, employees will have access to WGU career services resources and events, and WGU North Carolina staff look forward to participating in education/benefit fairs, information seminars, and “lunch and learn” presentations at Caldwell UNC Health Care.

WGU is an accredited online university offering more than 60 bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in healthcare, IT, business and K-12 education. The university has more than 113,000 students enrolled nationwide, including nearly 3,000 in North Carolina. Tuition is around $3,225 per six-month term for most degree programs.

“Caldwell UNC Health Care is a tremendous asset to the greater Lenoir, Hickory and Morganton communities, and we are pleased to partner with them to provide opportunities for their employees to pursue academic degrees while still working,” said WGU North Carolina Chancellor Catherine Truitt. “Our asynchronous, competency-based model allows students to study at a time of their choosing and to proceed at their own pace. Many of them earn their degrees in about 18 months.”

For more information about WGU North Carolina, visit www.wgu.edu/north-carolina.html. To learn more about Caldwell UNC Health Care, visit www.caldwellmemorial.org.