SMITHVILLE, Tenn. (May, 2022) – WGU Tennessee – a nonprofit, online university – recently committed $100,000 in scholarships to help bridge the healthcare gap in rural communities across the Volunteer State. Shania Narvaez, a Smithville resident, is one of the first recipients of the WGU Tennessee Rural Healthcare Scholarship. 

“In Tennessee, healthcare systems in our rural communities are often overlooked and understaffed,” said Kimberly K. Estep, chancellor of WGU Tennessee. “People like Shania are the heartbeat of our communities, and we are honored to be awarding her this scholarship in support of her degree.”

Open to students seeking a BSN, MSN, or Family Nurse Practitioner degree, the WGU Tennessee Rural Healthcare Scholarship is valued at $5,000, consisting of $1,250 in tuition credit per six-month term, renewable for up to four terms. Tuition is around $4,000 per term for most undergraduate degree programs. 

More than 2,400 Tennesseans are alumni of WGU’s College of Health Professions. In 2021, WGU was named a Center of Excellence in Nursing Education by the National League for Nursing, and all nursing degree programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. 

WGU offers more than 60 online undergraduate and graduate programs in business, K-12 education, health, and information technology. To learn more about WGU, visit wgu.edu. 

Established in 1997 by 19 U.S. governors with a mission to expand access to high-quality, affordable higher education, online nonprofit WGU now serves more than 136,000 students nationwide and has more than 272,000 graduates in all 50 states. In Tennessee alone, nearly 4,500 students are enrolled in WGU, which has conferred more than 8,475 degrees in the state. Celebrating its 25th anniversary, WGU is recognized as a highly effective postsecondary education model. Learn more at wgu.edu.