To help provide military service members with an affordable pathway to earning their graduate or undergraduate degrees and connect them with in-demand careers, Western Governors University (WGU) and Bridge My Return (BMR) – a hiring platform that connects veterans and transitioning military personnel to career opportunities with military-ready companies – today announced they have entered into a partnership. Under the terms of the agreement, BMR members who enroll in one of the fully online, nonprofit university’s 60-plus undergraduate or graduate degree programs, will be eligible to take advantage of scholarships.
“Many service members are seeking higher education and skill development opportunities in a way that works for them, and from an institution that gets them,” says Bob Hogan, Founder of Bridge My Return. “WGU’s contemporary course offerings, online model, one-on-one mentoring, and competency-based advancement philosophy are tailor-made for the military community.”
WGU is regularly ranked among the nation’s most military-friendly colleges and universities and provides the flexibility and workforce-focused degree programs needed by military personnel, veterans and their families. Of the 121,586 students currently enrolled at WGU, about 13% percent are considered to be active-duty military personnel, veterans or immediate family members of military personnel. WGU will offer BMR members access to curated degree programs that support their career interests.
“WGU and BMR are both committed to strengthening the skillsets needed by veterans and transitioning military members to advance in the workplace, and this partnership will bolster these efforts,” said Dr. Angie Besendorfer, Regional Vice President of WGU. “Our academic programs in business, IT, teacher education and health professions, including nursing, are both flexible and affordable and prepare students with the core knowledge and skills required to succeed in the workplace. Our partnership with BMR further ensures our military service member students’ success.”
BMR members enrolled in WGU will be eligible for scholarships, including those offered through WGU’s Military Appreciation Scholarship program. Scholarships are valued at up to $2,000 each and are applied at a rate of $500 per six-month term, renewable for up to four terms. To learn more about WGU, visit wgu.edu/BMR. To learn more about Bridge My Return, visit www.bridgemyreturn.com
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 121,000 students nationwide and has more than 166,000 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 just 22 years, the university has become a leading influence in the development of innovative workforce-focused approaches to education. 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, CNN, and in The New York Times. Learn more at www.wgu.edu.
About Bridge My Return
Bridge My Return is a trusted, efficient military hiring platform that connects Veterans and Transitioning Military to career opportunities with military-ready companies. BMR’s proprietary technology includes a military skills translator, automatic resume-building functionality, and a skills-to-skills job-matching algorithm. The Company pairs its technology with consulting and training support to increase the organizational readiness of employers to recruit, develop and retain military talent.
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For more information, contact:
Abigail Rolland
314-436-9090