Get Started: What Enrollment Entails
WGU offers an enrollment process that’s as hassle-free as possible. You’ll work closely with an Enrollment Counselor. For your convenience, WGU starts new groups of students every month.
Speaking with Your Enrollment Counselor
Your Enrollment Counselor will help you determine if WGU is the right school for you and your educational goals. When you’re ready, your Enrollment Counselor will guide you through the admission process.
When you request more information about WGU, you will be contacted by an Enrollment Counselor. Your Enrollment Counselor’s sole purpose is to help you determine if WGU is the right school for your educational and career goals.
This individual has specialized knowledge in your program of interest. You and your Enrollment Counselor will discuss your academic and career background and how they fit with WGU’s program offerings and nature of study. Our emphasis is on counseling you to make the best possible decision about your future—whether it’s with WGU or not. (Our counselors are non-commissioned professionals.)
Your Enrollment Counselor is available to you by phone and email.
Starting Your Degree Program
A college education is a significant commitment. Often the hardest part of the journey is getting started. The admission process is designed to help you learn about the nature of WGU's academic program and the support you’ll have throughout your degree program.
Learning online at WGU means you can finish the degree you started years ago or earn that master’s degree that will launch your career forward.
You’ll get excellent preparation for starting your degree program with the help of your Enrollment Counselor.
You Decide Your Schedule, Not Us
At WGU, you are in charge of your schedule. You can begin your degree program on the first of any month, which begins your first term.
A term at WGU is six months in length. The six months that make up your term are based on when you begin your program. For example, if you begin your program March 1st, your first term lasts from March 1st to August 31st. Your second term would begin September 1st.
Tuition is billed at a flat rate every term, so you pay for the time, not by credit hour or by course. Since you’re paying for the time, you’re encouraged to complete as many courses and assessments as you can in those six months. If you can complete your courses in less time, your program will be shorter and you’ll pay less.
“It was an easy process. My enrollment counselor was very informative, very helpful, answered all of my questions.” Kate Leger,
B.S. Accounting
Introducing You to the Nature of Study at WGU
Online learning isn’t for everyone. At WGU, we don’t require* fixed class schedules or classroom seat time.
Our focus is on developing competency. That means your progress is based on completing challenging assessments that make you prove you have the skills and knowledge in a particular subject area. You’ll study, write papers, take tests, and complete assignments.
You’ll be introduced to WGU’s competency-based approach to education at the beginning of your first term in a process called Orientation. During Orientation, you’ll get familiar with online learning as well as the learning resources and tools you’ll use throughout your degree program.
*Clinical rotations for nursing programs and demonstration teaching for education programs require fixed schedules and in-person work.
Affordable Tuition, Financial Aid, and Scholarships
As a nonprofit university, a major part of WGU’s mission is to keep tuition low. Our tuition is typically half* what other reputable online and traditional colleges charge. Not only is tuition affordable, but WGU offers several convenient methods for how to pay for your education.
Self pay– If you’re paying for college yourself, WGU is a great choice, and is half the cost of other online universities. You can pay tuition with cash, check or credit card.
Financial aid– WGU offers several federal financial aid and grant programs designed to make higher education even more affordable. There are many ways to get help paying for college.
Scholarships – WGU maintains a robust scholarship program through the generosity of corporate donors and special grants. Many WGU students are eligible—in fact, we awarded over $20 million in scholarships last year!
* WGU average annual bachelor’s tuition rates are 57% the national average, compared to national rates reported by the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System. WGU average rate does not include rates for WGU Bachelor of Science, Nursing Prelicensure program.
Military and Corporate Tuition Reimbursement
Members of the U.S. Armed Services, Reserves, and National Guard are usually able to use Tuition Assistance (TA) programs made available through the Department of Defense. Veterans and active-duty service members may also use their Montgomery GI Bill® benefits.
A Generous Transfer Policy
You’ll benefit from your previous college education—whether you’ve taken courses or earned a degree—through transfer credits. You’ll also benefit from WGU’s competency-based approach to education by taking advantage of your knowledge and skills throughout the duration of your program. You’ll benefit from your previous college education—whether you’ve taken courses or earned a degree—through transfer credits. Here are some general transfer guidelines.
If you have an A.A. or A.S.
If you hold an Associate of Arts (A.A.) or Associate of Science (A.S.) degree from an institution that is recognized as nationally or regionally accredited by the U.S. Department of Education, you should clear all or many of the lower-division requirements for a bachelor’s degree in business or information technology. For health and education programs, a course-by-course evaluation is typically required. Only an official transcript evaluation can determine how many requirements you may be able to waive.
If you have an A.A.S.
If you earned an Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) or other applied associate degree, you may be able to clear a significant portion of WGU's lower-division degree requirements.
If you have some college courses.
If you have completed college courses but have not earned a degree of any type, you may also be able to have some degree requirements cleared through a course-by-course transcript evaluation.
If you have graduate-level courses.
Graduate-level program requirements are never cleared through transfer because of prior graduate school study, with few exceptions for some healthcare graduate degrees. However, competencies obtained through prior study will help students to accelerate toward degree completion.
How Transcripts Are Used
Transcripts are used by your assigned mentor (a faculty member who serves as your guide through your degree program) to help develop your personalized Degree Plan. You can learn more by exploring information about mentors and the Degree Plan.
Four Colleges, One University
All of our degree programs are carefully chosen with employment and success in mind. Our special model of online learning is designed for the working adult, and our commitment to keep costs down means better ROI for our graduates.
