WGU Missouri and Saint Michael’s Army (SMA), a nonprofit charitable organization that provides financial and mental health assistance to law enforcement officers (LEOs) and their families, today announced they have entered into a joint partnership that will provide SMA members and employees with an affordable option to earning their degrees from WGU. Under the terms of the agreement, those who enroll in any of the fully online, nonprofit university’s 60-plus undergraduate or graduate degree programs in business, IT, K-12 teacher education or health professions – including nursing – will now be eligible to apply for scholarships offered through the WGU Collaborative Agreement Partner Scholarship fund.
The scholarships, each valued at up to $2,500, are applied to WGU’s already-low, flat-rate tuition of about $3,800 per six-month term. The awards will be disbursed in increments of $625 per six-month term and can be renewed for up to four terms based on satisfactory academic performance. Applicants who lack access to affordable, high-speed internet will also be eligible to apply for the WGU Online Access Scholarship, which covers internet installation and monthly access costs for the duration WGU students who qualify are active and in good standing. The program also provides devices to students who are in need.
“Living as a law enforcement family ourselves for so long, we felt that WGU having a mentor available for each student, combined with its flexibility, would be the perfect fit for any law enforcement officer who is needing an education resource,” said Ashley Travers, President of Saint Michael’s Army. “Choosing to partner exclusively with WGU ensures we will be able to help even more LEOs get the college education they deserve. This partnership will also help officers with ranking up and give them an added boost of confidence, as well as allow them to navigate their school schedules with much less stress as they complete their degree.”
Designed by police families for police families, Saint Michael’s Army creates avenues that alleviate the everyday stressors for the average “Blue Line” family. The organization currently has 10 employees located in the St. Louis region that work toward the betterment of
both the mental and financial health of police officers by giving back to those who serve their local communities while facing increased pressure and challenges in the line of duty.
WGU offers SMA members and employees a competency-based approach to learning that allows students to take advantage of their knowledge and previous experience to quickly move through material they already know so they can focus on what they still need to learn. Students complete their programs by studying on schedules that fit their lives, advancing as soon as they demonstrate they have mastered the subject matter. WGU faculty members work one-on-one with students as mentors, offering guidance, support and individualized instruction. While WGU’s degree programs are rigorous and challenging, competency-based learning makes it possible for students to accelerate their progress and graduate faster, saving both time and money.
“We are pleased to partner with Saint Michael’s Army to help provide their employees and law enforcement officers – who put their lives on the line to protect our communities and uphold the law – with an affordable pathway to furthering their education,” said Dr. Angie Besendorfer, Chancellor of WGU Missouri. “SMA is committed to delivering simplistic, realistic and fast solutions to police officers and their family members to help relieve financial and mental health stressors that come with the job, in addition to offering access to educational opportunities to advance their personal goals. This partnership will help support that mission.”
For more information on the partnership between WGU Missouri and Saint Michael’s Army, visit wgu.edu/partnerships.
About WGU Missouri
WGU Missouri is a competency-based, online university created to expand access to higher education for Missouri residents. The university offers more than 60 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in the fields of business, K-12 teacher education, information technology, and health professions, including nursing. WGU Missouri faculty members serve as mentors, working one-on-one with students, offering guidance, support, and individualized instruction.
Established in 2013 through a partnership with nationally recognized Western Governors University, WGU Missouri is open to all qualified Missouri residents. The university is nonprofit and self-sustaining on flat-rate tuition of about $7,600 per year for most programs.
Degrees are granted under the accreditation of Western Governors University, which is accredited through the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). Nursing College programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE*), and the Health Informatics program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM). More information is available at missouri.wgu.edu or by calling 855.948.8493.
*Western Governors University offers nursing programs that are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 5380, Washington DC 20036, 202-877-6791).
About Saint Michael’s Army
Saint Michael’s Army, Inc. is committed to serving those who serve us. Together we will advocate, support, and financially assist as many Law Enforcement Families as possible, in regard to all aspects of their demanding schedules. We will create realistic avenues that alleviate the everyday stressors for the average blue line family, working towards the betterment of the mental and financial health of our police officers. We will work to support our officers to remove the grey areas of the thin blue line.
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For more information, contact:
Merisa Ashbaugh
merisa@hausergrouppr.com
(309) 335-5453