WGU Offering Scholarships in Form of Internet & Laptops
Alison Bell is WGU Indiana chancellor and regional vice president for WGU.
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowWestern Governors University has launched a program to help the thousands of students who lack the necessary tools to take classes remotely, including internet access and a computer.
The school created the Online Access Scholarship, which grants high-speed internet access and a refurbished laptop to qualifying WGU Indiana students.
The program covers internet installation and monthly access costs for students in good standing.
“The onset of COVID-19 has resulted in an increase of social distancing measures and unemployment, ultimately pushing the need for more reliable internet access for our current and future students,” said Alison Bell, WGU Indiana chancellor and regional vice president for WGU.
The COVID-19 pandemic further revealed the digital divide this past spring as schools, colleges and universities suspended in-person classes.
According to WGU, 666,000 people in Indiana live without access to high-speed internet and 265,000 live in an area without a wired internet provider available. Bell said internet service could come in the form of a hotspot device or actual hard-wired service.
Nationwide, WGU’s program will provide 5,400 refurbished laptop computers.
“The Online Access Scholarship program is one way the university is enabling these students to continue their studies from the safety of their homes. We’re aiming to remove these learning barriers completely,” Bell said.
The scholarship program is part of a broader WGU initiative that involves working with policymakers and private industries to shrink the digital divide in Indiana.
“People of all ages and all stations in life need to have access to high-speed internet because our mission is all about connecting people with opportunity,” said Bell. “The last thing we want is for access to high-speed internet to be one more barrier. So, if we can remove that we’d like to do that with this scholarship.”
Bell said since WGU enrolls new students each month, the scholarships are also being awarded monthly.
Click here to learn more about the program and eligibility requirements.
In an interview with Inside INdiana Business, WGU Indiana Chancellor Alison Bell explains the need for the scholarship program.
Bell details how location could dictate the type of support received.