SALT LAKE CITY — According to the Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce, 65 percent of all jobs in the U.S. economy will require postsecondary education by the year 2020. In an effort to help prepare the workforce for these careers, nonprofit Western Governors University (WGU) will award 100 new scholarships to students pursuing bachelor’s or master’s degrees at the competency-based university.

Each 2020 Vision Scholarship is valued at up to $2,000—$500 per six-month term for up to four terms. Applications are now being accepted for these scholarships through December 31.

To be eligible for one of these scholarships, applicants must be officially admitted to WGU, complete the scholarship application, and be interviewed by a WGU scholarship counselor. While WGU will award up to 100 scholarships, recipients will be selected based on their academic records, financial needs, and readiness for online study at WGU, among other considerations.

WGU’s competency-based learning model makes it possible for working adults to fit studying into their busy lives. While WGU’s online degree programs are rigorous and challenging, students can earn their degrees without sacrificing work, family, and financial obligations. Students complete courses as soon as they demonstrate that they have mastered the materials, enabling them to move quickly through material they already know and spend more time on what they still need to learn. As a result, many students are able to accelerate their studies, finishing faster and saving money—the average time to complete a bachelor’s degree is about two and half years. This, combined with low tuition of about $6,000 a year for most programs, is helping more working adults go back to school.

Online, accredited, and nonprofit, WGU offers more than 60 bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business, K–12 teacher education, information technology, and health professions, including nursing.