Nation’s Largest College of Education Celebrates American Education Week with Scholarships for Current and Aspiring Teachers

AUSTIN, Texas (November 09, 2022) — The Teachers College at WGU Texas’ Western Governors School of Education will mark American Education Week (Nov. 14-19, 2022) 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 degree programs in the Teachers College.

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.

“WGU’s Teachers College has a history of maintaining remarkably affordable, flat-rate tuition that allows students to pursue their professional passions without the burden of student loan debt,” said Dr. Stacey Ludwig Johnson, acting Senior Vice President of WGU and Executive Dean of the School of Education. “With these scholarships, we continue our commitment of offering accessible educational opportunities focused on the individual so that each and every student, regardless of circumstances, can see themselves on the path to a degree.”

According to data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), Texas has an unmet need of approximately 20,181 teachers for the 2022-23 school year, including elementary, secondary, and special education. As part of a solution to this teacher shortage, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, WGU’s Teachers College has graduated more than 32,700 students nationwide between Jan. 1, 2020 and Aug. 31, 2022 who have gone on to become certified teachers or advanced in their school-leader roles with 2,029 of those graduates in Texas.

“Our students deserve certified teachers who will help them reach their fullest potential. That’s why we must invest in and support our teachers,” said Linda Battles, WGU Texas Chancellor. “One way to do this is through these scholarships that support our efforts to ensure future educators can earn their teaching degrees so that all students have access to a diverse group of educators. We want teachers to be good educators, and successful professionals, with little debt and room for continued growth. Our Teachers College is committed to making sure we advance the education profession.”

In the last 20 years, the Teachers College has conferred more than 70,000 degrees to educators across all 50 states, and has approximately 35,000 students currently enrolled. 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.

New and enrolling WGU students may apply by December 31, 2022 for the WGU Loves Teachers scholarship or the Become a Teacher scholarship by visiting 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 (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 Texas

WGU Texas is an online, nonprofit, competency-based university established to expand Texans’ access to higher education throughout the state. Formed through a partnership between the state of Texas and nationally recognized Western Governors University, WGU Texas is open to all qualified Texas residents. The university offers more than 60 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in the high-demand career fields of business, K-12 teacher education, information technology, and health professions, including nursing. Since the university’s launch in 2011, more than 25,000 graduates have earned their undergraduate or graduate degrees through a variety of academic offerings.

About The WGU School of Education

The WGU School of Education, the largest non-profit, 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 35,000 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.