Nation’s largest college of education celebrates American Education Week with scholarships for current and aspiring teachers 

The Teachers College at Western Governors University (WGU)’s 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 at up to $4,000 and is designed to help current teachers improve their skill set in the classroom or move into administration, and to  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.” 
Tennessee currently faces a significant teacher shortage. With the stress and dynamics of teaching virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic and the transition back to in-person learning this past year, there are currently around 6,600 teaching positions open throughout the state.   
According to data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), all states and the District of Columbia collectively report an unmet need of approximately 377,400 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 launched as licensed teachers or advanced in their school-leader roles.  
“At a time when the need for inspiring and innovative educators continues to grow, we want to help educators and aspiring educators pursue their academic dreams,” said Kimberly K. Estep, WGU Southeast Regional Vice President. “We’re incredibly honored to support the continued learning and hard work of the next generation of teachers and leaders.”    
In the last 20 years, the Teachers College has conferred more than 70,000 degrees to educators across all 50 states, and has currently enrolled approximately 35,000 students. 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 Dec. 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 
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 131,000 students nationwide and has more than 293,000 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 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.  
About the WGU School of Education 
As the largest, nonprofit, accredited school of education in the U.S. with more than 110,000 active students, the WGU School of Education is a champion of next-generation teaching, learning, and leading. The school includes the Teachers College, with approximately 35,000 active degree-seeking students who are rising and striving teachers and educators advancing their pathways to opportunity and their ability to make a difference in their community, joining approximately 70,000 WGU educator alumni now working across all 50 states. The school is also home to the WGU College of General Education, which provides a competency-based, foundational education to more than 75,000 students starting their degrees in the WGU College of Business, College of Information Technology, and Leavitt School of Health, in addition to those in the Teachers College.