Maryville, Mo. In an effort to empower residents in rural areas of the state to go back to school and further their education, Western Governors University Missouri has announced it has partnered with the Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives (AMEC) to provide scholarships to residents who are served by an electric cooperative and are interested in pursuing a degree from the online, nonprofit university.
Approximately $100,000 in scholarships will be available for new students who are interested in furthering their education and live in a household served by one of the more than 40 electric co-ops in the state. In Moniteau County, CO-MO Electric Cooperative customers are eligible for the scholarship awards.
Reliable internet access has been identified as a major need for rural communities in Missouri and beyond, and thanks to Missouri's rural electric cooperatives, internet access will soon be expanded to more than 25,000 Missourians. The WGU Missouri "Power Your Future" scholarship celebrates this access by rewarding Missourians who want to complete their college education through an online university but were previously unable because they lacked access to robust internet service.
Each scholarship is valued at up to $3,000 and will be applied at a rate of $750 per six-month term. To be eligible, scholarship applicants must be officially admitted to WGU Missouri, complete the scholarship application and be interviewed by a WGU scholarship counselor. Recipients will be selected based on academic records, financial need, readiness for online study and current competency, among other considerations. The scholarship is open through Dec. 31.
While urban areas of Missouri have enjoyed high-speed internet service for years, much of the state's rural areas have been underserved when it comes to broadband access. Thanks to the collective efforts of the state's electric co-ops, though, new legislation passed in 2018 will provide more opportunities for co-ops and other telecommunication groups to expand broadband access to more areas of rural Missouri. This means there will be expanded opportunities for residents who need the flexibility offered by online education. The "Power Your Future" scholarship aims to bring attention to these opportunities and reward students in rural Missouri who are interested in furthering their education.