McLeod Health Partners with WGU for Staff Educational Opportunities

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Nonprofit university will provide scholarship opportunities to school system employees

FLORENCE, S.C.  – McLeod Health has signed a collaboration agreement with online nonprofit Western Governors University (WGU) that will provide personalized pathways to higher education through affordable bachelor’s and master’s degrees. As part of the agreement, McLeod Health employees will be eligible to apply for up to $2,500 in scholarships through the WGU Healthcare Partners Fund, disbursed in increments of $625 per six-month term for up to four terms.

WGU is accredited through the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). Tuition is around $4,000 per term for most undergraduate degree programs, and students can take as many classes within a term as they wish with the consent of their assigned program mentor. WGU offers degrees in healthcare, IT, business, and K-12 education. WGU currently has more than 2,500 students and 6,500 graduates throughout South Carolina.

“Our people represent the greatest asset of McLeod,” said Charity Gerald, Director of Workforce Development and Recruiting. “We value the people doing the work as much as the work being done. We encourage our employees to build their career ladder and we appreciate the support WGU will provide by offering scholarships.”
“As a leader in healthcare in South Carolina, McLeod Health is also taking the lead in providing postsecondary education opportunities to its employees,” said Kimberly K. Estep, Southeast Regional Vice President at Western Governors University. “We are extremely pleased to partner with them to help upskill their staff through our more than 80 undergraduate and graduate degree programs, that in turn will improve patient care and operational efficiency.”

Designed to meet the needs of adult learners, WGU’s online, competency-based learning model allows students to take advantage of their knowledge and experience to move quickly through material they already know, so they can focus on what they still need to learn. Students complete their programs by studying with schedules that fit their lives, advancing as soon as they demonstrate mastery of the subject matter.

For information about McLeod Health, visit www.mcleodhealth.org. To learn more about WGU, visit www.wgu.edu .

About McLeod Health
McLeod is a locally owned, not-for-profit healthcare system which features the strength of 850 physicians and 2,700 registered nurses, and approximately 15,000 team members. The McLeod Health network consists of 8 locations. McLeod Regional Medical Center, McLeod Behavioral Health, McLeod Health Cheraw, McLeod Health Clarendon, McLeod Health Dillon, McLeod Health Loris, McLeod Health Seacoast and McLeod Health Carolina Forest. Learn more at www.mcleodhealth.org.

About Western Governors University
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 152,000 students nationwide and has more than 339,000 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 The New York Times. Learn more at wgu.edu and wgu.edu/impact.