Durham, N.C. (April 5, 2023) – According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 34% of South Carolina’s population live in rural areas (defined as living in communities of 2,500 or fewer people). Although many rural residents seek to further their education, they face barriers of distance, time, and money. To help remove these barriers, accredited online Western Governors University (WGU) has announced new Learn Where You Live Scholarships exclusively for residents of rural communities.

As broadband extends to remote areas of South Carolina, more residents have access to WGU’s more than 80 online bachelor’s and master’s degree program in business, IT, education, and healthcare. The Learn Where You Live Scholarships are valued at up to $3,000 and are awarded at $750 per six-month term for up to four terms. These scholarships are available to new or returning WGU students living in rural areas, as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau.

The scholarship application deadline is June 30 and more information is available at www.wgu.edu/learnwhereyoulive.

Western Governors University was founded in 1997 to expand access to education and help fill states’ workforce needs. Tuition is around $4,000 per six-month term for most undergraduate degree programs, and students can accelerate at their own pace. Each student is assigned a Program Mentor from their field of study who will work with them from day one through to graduation.

More than 2,300 WGU students are currently enrolled in South Carolina, and more than 7,000 alumni live across all 46 counties in the state.

“For many rural residents, it’s just not feasible to drive an hour or more to sit in a college classroom or take an exam, especially if they have work and family obligations,” said Ben Coulter, Ed.D., Director of the Southeast Region for WGU. “Our online, competency-based model lets students log in whenever and wherever they have good internet access, and to accelerate at their preferred pace toward a bachelor’s or master’s degree in an in-demand, workforce-aligned field. WGU is doing what we can to remove the barriers of distance, time, and cost.”

For more information about WGU, visit www.wgu.edu.

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 144,000 students nationwide and has more than 313,000 graduates from 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 25 years, the university has become a leading influence in changing the lives of individuals and families, and preparing the workforce needed in today’s rapidly evolving economy. 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 wgu.edu and wgu.edu/impact.