Gates Foundation Awards $1.2 Million to Study Effectiveness of Online Degree Program for Low-Income Students

"In the United States today, there are millions of young adults who have the ability and desire to continue their education past high school. However, they are stalled by limited access to affordable, quality options and competing demands for their time and energy," said Hilary Pennington, the director of Special Initiatives for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. "WGU's programs, which allow students to work full-time while they earn their degrees, offer a practical way to complete a quality college education. We look forward to working with the university to find ways to dramatically improve college completion rates for young, low-income students."