SALT LAKE CITY — Western Governors University recently announced $40,000 in nursing scholarships to honor the leadership of Linda Knodel, Senior Vice President of National Patient Care Services at Kaiser Permanente and a member of Western Governors University’s (WGU) National Nursing Advisory Board. The Linda Knodel Leaders in Nursing Scholarship, valued at up to $5,000 per student, is for nursing students in the M.S. Nursing — Leadership and Management (for RNs with BSNs) , M.S. Nursing — Leadership and Management (RN to MSN Option) and the Master of Health Leadership degree programs.
Each Linda Knodel Leaders in Nursing Scholarship will be applied at the rate of $1,250 per six-month term, renewable for up to four terms. Students enrolling in either WGU’s M.S. Nursing — Leadership and Management (for RNs with BSNs), or M.S. Nursing — Leadership and Management (RN to MSN Option) or Master of Health Leadership are eligible to apply. Applications are open to new students who have been officially admitted to WGU. While multiple scholarships will be awarded over the course of the next two years, this is a competitive program, and scholarships will be granted based on a candidate’s academic record, financial need, readiness for online study, and current competency, as well as other considerations.
As part of the application process, students will be asked to share an example of their personal leadership within their healthcare organization or demonstrate how earning their master’s degree will facilitate achievement of their leadership goals.
WGU’s use of competency-based education, which focuses on measuring learning rather than time spent in class, allows students to earn their degrees by demonstrating mastery of the subject matter they need to be successful—real-world competencies developed in collaboration with employers. Designed to meet the needs of adult learners, competency-based education 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. WGU faculty members work one-on-one with students as mentors, offering guidance, support, and individualized instruction. While WGU’s degree programs are rigorous and challenging, competency-based learning makes it possible for students to accelerate their progress, saving both time and money.
