WGU Missouri and Bridge My Return Announce Partnership

July 08, 2020

New partnership will offer educational assistance and scholarships to service members and further workplace success

(July 8, 2020) – To help provide military service members in Missouri with an affordable pathway to earning their graduate or undergraduate degrees and connect them with in-demand careers, WGU Missouri and Bridge My Return (BMR) – a hiring platform that connects veterans and transitioning military personnel to career opportunities with military-ready companies – today announced they have entered into a partnership. Under the terms of the agreement, BMR members who enroll in one of the fully online, nonprofit university’s 60-plus undergraduate or graduate degree programs, will be eligible to take advantage of scholarships.

“Many service members are seeking higher education and skill development opportunities in a way that works for them, and from an institution that gets them,” says Bob Hogan, Founder of Bridge My Return. “WGU’s contemporary course offerings, online model, one-on-one mentoring, and competency-based advancement philosophy are tailor-made for the military community.”

WGU is regularly ranked among the nation’s most military-friendly colleges and universities and provides the flexibility and workforce-focused degree programs needed by military personnel, veterans and their families. Of the 3,300 Missouri students currently enrolled at WGU, about 13% percent are considered to be active-duty military personnel, veterans or immediate family members of military personnel. The university will offer BMR members access to curated degree programs that support their career interests.

“WGU and BMR are both committed to strengthening the skillsets needed by veterans and transitioning military members to advance in the workplace, and this partnership will bolster these efforts,” said Dr. Angie Besendorfer, Chancellor of WGU Missouri. “Our academic programs in business, IT, teacher education and health professions, including nursing, are both flexible and affordable and prepare students with the core knowledge and skills required to succeed in the workplace. Our partnership with BMR further ensures our military service member students’ success.”

BMR members enrolled in WGU will be eligible for scholarships, including those offered through WGU’s Military Appreciation Scholarship program. Scholarships are valued at up to $2,000 each and are applied at a rate of $500 per six-month term, renewable for up to four terms. To learn more about WGU Missouri and its partnership with Bridge My Return, visit wgu.edu/BMR. To learn more about Bridge My Return, visit www.bridgemyreturn.com