Penny Pinching Mom

A Different Kind of Online University

Back when I was in college, going to school online was practically unheard of. There were some teleclasses that students could take, and some courses had limited online components, but other than that, you had to be physically present in a bricks and mortar school for the most part. Or at least that’s how most students (and schools) did things.

If I had known about Western Governors University back then, I might have done things much differently. They were founded in 1997, when I was in the second year of my associate’s degree program. But even then, they weren’t your typical online university. WGU was founded by the governors of 19 states as a non-profit school. That meant that tuition was much lower than most schools, including other online universities. Even today, tuition is around $3,000 per semester. Try going to school anywhere else, online or off, for that!

WGU is nationally and regionally accredited, and they offer programs in several in-demand fields. You can get an online nursing degree, IT degree, business degree or teaching degree through them. And for those who are trying to work in an education around job or family responsibilities, their competency-based education model provides the ultimate in flexibility. Each student works at his own pace under the advisement of a mentor, and each course is completed when he demonstrates competency, whether that happens in a week or a year.

With such low prices and flexibility, WGU puts a degree within reach for anyone. I’ll certainly be keeping it in mind if I decide to go back to school!