Why WGU?
Choosing what college to attend can be a daunting process at any time. Selecting a school as an adult student can be even more difficult. Beyond the normal considerations of cost, program types, traditional school or online, and location, there are additional factors to consider as an adult student. These may include work schedule conflicts, family life, distance to travel, and credit earned for life experience. The nineteen governors who founded Western Governors University took these things into consideration when developing the school and its programs. They developed a school that offers a truly exceptional level of quality in education at a price that is around half of that charged by other schools. So if low cost,
…show more content…
This occurs because the education received is competency based, rather than credit based. If a student has prior experience and/or knowledge of a particular subject, or is able to work quickly and learn fast, he or she can demonstrate that competence very quickly and move on to another subject. ("About WGU: How We’re Different," 2010) The student is also billed per semester, not per credit or course taken. This allows the student to complete as many credits as he or she can adequately handle, all for the same low price. This saves the student both time and money, both of which are precious in today’s economy. ("Tuition and Financial Aid," 2010) Students today are also looking for a school that is convenient for them, both in location and in flexibility of scheduling. Western Governors University offers convenience in both areas. Since it is an online school, the location couldn’t be any more appropriate. It is simply wherever the student has access to the internet and the time to study, whether that is at home, on a break at work, or even on vacation. In addition, there are no set times for classes, so a student can spend just a few minutes or long hours studying the necessary material whenever it is suitable for him or her. What could be more convenient than working at one’s own pace at a location of one’s own choosing? One might think that in exchange for lower tuition fees and no set class times, one might have to give
This could be a matter of convenience due to things such as online registration systems at some colleges. Other scenarios include students exhausting the lower cost methods of paying for tuition such as student loans or payment plans (American Council on Education).
College has become a norm in today’s society so much so, that the average costs of higher education are not really discussed. A public two-year in-district college was $3,520 for a full-time undergraduate student in 2016-2017 (Baum 68). Baum also declares that a public four-year in-state undergraduate tuition was $9,650; a public four-year out-of-state college cost $24,930; a private nonprofit four-year college costs $33,480; and a for-profit college cost $16,000 for that same school year. (68). Across the nation, figures will vary because of the obvious geographical region differences, but also because of price discrimination. Price discrimination allows institutions to discount their prices for a lot of students (Baum 79). Institutions do this based on individual student circumstances, and it segments the market. Institutions
Numerous studies all over the world have made assumptions about the academic performance of students staying on campus in residences and those who travel to campus every day. Some studies suggest that those students who live in campus residences tend to have an advantage over those who don’t (Peterson, 1975). The following review based in related literature will strive to be as thorough as possible about the chosen topic and problems.
Online degrees are becoming an ever more trendy method to receive a college education and many students are switching to online education due to the quality of material, ease, and the level of flexibility in distance education programs. Recently, the internet has developed into a reliable capital of information for college seekers. Everything from applying for financial assistance to taking a course can be done online. Now, a student can even obtain online degrees from one of many schools offering online education as a practical choice to a traditional classroom education. There’s a load of information regarding online education, and distance education is becoming increasingly popular for students everywhere.
Students prefer to attend school out-of-state may be doing so for the reason of atmosphere. The college of ones dreams may not be in the state they currently reside, it could be in a state that's three thousand miles away. Experiencing “new foods, different geography, and perhaps a climate change” may be exactly what the student wants to experience when gathering an education (Baron). Another thing a student wants to engage in when attending college is independence. Independence may be a very important quality when choosing a school. Being responsible for things such as “schedules, making and keeping appointments, shopping, healthy eating, laundry, and budgeting” can give students higher confidence levels which will increase the college experience. The temptation of driving home with one's laundry basket to make one's mom do their laundry will decrease as the miles from home increase, forcing students to become more confident and independent. The out-of-state experience for a college student may be the best part of attending college. The college three thousand miles away can be more “alluring, to be able to spread their wings, especially if their college of choice holds the lure of prestige” causing the out-of-state college to be desirable to any student looking to attend a university of any kind
The decision making process on what college to attend can be stressful. For some, the deciding factor can be where they get the better offer for sports, such as Butler Community College, or where is closer to home, like Wichita State University. When the time comes to have this tough, and extremely long, process come into play, look at the pros and cons of the college choices and how each one can benefit life after college. What institution can you get out of as much as you put in? Which college has the degree completion plan you are wanting to pursue? These questions weighs in all incoming college students minds who strive for that goal of success that is a college degree. Despite bearing some minor similarities, the differences
In life some students does not know which college to choose. Some of their questions are, “Maybe I should choose this college because it is cheaper and closer to home” or “Maybe I should go to this college because it is great, expensive, and there’s a lot of fine people there. If it would me in this situation, I would chose the college that is cheaper and closer to home. This is the reason I chosed Ogeechee Tech over Southeastern Tech.
This then causes students to shy away from the mission, thus affecting their overall performance of acting or learning in class and public. According to Hacker and Dreifus, “...professors must make an effort to reach their students...they must become conscientious, caring, and attentive to every corner of their classrooms” (Dreifus and Hacker 180). While this may be true, colleges are definitively becoming overly involved in satisfying students through specific programs and activities, which results in little concern of actual student welfare and education. If colleges have no concern for their students, then why should students be expected to pay and not receive an acceptable education? Though students have significant qualms towards the expected payment for tuition, they are more focused on
College students find themselves with differing responsibilities past that of obtaining a degree. Employment and family commitments make similar demands on their time. Having the alternative of taking online classes, allows them to use online classes act as a convenient means for learners that are unable to attend classes due to restrictions such as distance. If students want to travel to another country and still need to achieve a degree, they can take online classes and transfer back to their home colleges. Moreover, some students come from regions where the colleges do not offer the courses they want, so they will be required to take online classes. In the current job market, taking courses online assists employees remain competitive, and are not mandated to take time off from work to enrol in college (Summers, Waigandt & Whittaker, 2005).
The big question that is asked when going to a college is why do you choose our college. Well let me tell you. There are thousands of colleges to choose from and I decide on Lake Land College, because they have the program I want to eventually be in. They are affordable and they are always willing to help you with any problems you have.
Why I Chose Western Governors University or (WGU)? The reason I chose Western Governor University is because I believe that Western Governors University is the best online, accelerated, affordable and accredited university that is a best-fit for working professionals like me with a prior college experience. I believe WGU will be the best option for me.
Western Governors University has 53 online degree programs to choose from, for an annual tuition of less than $15,000 each. This school offers one of the most affordable online accounting degrees. The annual tuition for the accounting program is $5,780. The Business degree program, also offered at the same price, is one of the most affordable. This public, non-profit school is fully accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council Accrediting Commission. Western Governors University was founded in the year 1997 and offers 48 online degree programs as well as 6 online certification programs.
The profile mentioned students and even graduates sharing Tumblr posts about how immense their debt will be including one that said, “When I graduate I will have (over) $100k in student loans” (16). Unfortunately, not everyone is able to grasp the amount of money owed to loans and may lose sight of the greater debt they have fallen into. However, due to the number of college applicants remaining constant, rather than growing, colleges and universities are forced to provide more financial aid to appeal students (x). Even with financial aid, six years is now referred to as the typical schooling length, which costs about fifty percent more than if someone chose to graduate in four years, making tuition harder to pay off. Knowing that most people will not be able to pay off debt with their income will help students decide if an expensive university is the right choice for them.
Western State had peaked my interest when I first made the visit to the campus my Junior year of high school. Around the time I was considering which college would be best for me. When first entering the town of Gunnison I realized all of the potential outdoor activates that I could partaken. Being a Colorado Native outdoor actives have always been a big part of my life. During my visit I enjoyed hearing about what the campus had to offer, from small classes that would provide more one on one interaction from the professors. An added bonus western offers my intended major. I also loved how many of the students never want to leave campus. I also really enjoyed what western had to offer on campus whether that was clubs, sports, or outdoor trips
Another benefit arising from this is that students are able to study where they want to study; there is no need to make their way to a campus. Also students are able to access their lessons more than once. While a lecture is given once, online materials can be accessed at any time (Demirdjian 2002). Financial benefits arise for students from the lessened need for high fees, housing away from home and travel costs such as fuel and parking at campuses (Demirdjian 2002). Some of these benefits are offset by the increased need for a personal computer to be purchased, Internet access at home, paper and print cartridges.