New Scholarship Opens More Pathways to Higher Education for Rural Residents

SALT LAKE CITY - analysis. With more than 60 bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in business, healthcare, IT, and education, WGU can prepare adult learners with the skills that employers are seeking. description ers charged with changing sprinklers. Hay fields from Hanksville to Loa are as green and tall as anyone can remember, and new rubber hip boot sales at Brian Farm are at an all time high. Although the consistent moisture has been welcome, there is growing concern among farmers and locals that gather to discuss such things at places like Howards, M&D, Brian Farm and Gordons, with fields getting close to being cut. Murmurs of “a little sunshine for a straight week or so sure would be nice” can be heard over oil motor oil types, best fertilizer brands and strong cups of coffee, with the occasional announcement of a new grandbaby. For those with less than half an acre, the discussion is more along the lines of weed eater cord and landscaping rock, and when does one dare plant tomatoes in Wayne County? In Hanksville, conversations at Duke’s and Cur- tis’ contain swamp cooler efficiency and phrases such as, “You should have seen the size of the turkey I hit on the road in Caineville. Go take a look; it is still in the grill of my truck.”

Wanting to stay in your hometown shouldn’t bar you from obtaining a college education that can help you reach your career goals.

A new scholarship opportunity from Western Governors University (WGU) is aimed at adult learners who live in rural areas of the country, so they, too, can access a quality, affordable, accredited degree where they live.

In Torrey, you don’t leave your windows on your outfit rolled down for any length of time this time of year or it will fill up with cotton, and you won’t get rid of it until you get to Lyman going 65 mph, or 90 if you have a scanner. There have been worse cotton years, and, generally, the white fluffy stuff only lasts a week or two. The crunchy pods, then, start to fall and folks spend a week procrastinating raking them up until they can go purchase a new super duty rake at Loa Builders. Or they just blow them out onto the town street with their new 48” twin turbo Husqvarna lawn mower—then feel guilty about it and go sweep them up.

Excavation and con- struction on the new high school building in Bicknell has been a source of wonder throughout Wayne County since the swimming pool went by the wayside. Lots of dirt seems to be coming out the hole and warning signs clog the chain link fence in front of the construction trailer along the highway. Dirt seems to go from one side of the lot to the other week to week, and local gold enthusiast are itching to get in there and do some panning as they are positive there has to be something valuable down there, but their security cameras and the ever present cops on Bicknell Main Street keep them from sneaking inside the gate. Life in Wayne County is always an adventure in and of itself, and around every corner, on every half mile, there is something out there you never remember seeing before, unless you are Dicky Pace.

Update Forum: The first Attainable Housing Forum took place in November. Three workgroups were then created to assist the PC in collecting information on housing issues.

Update Forum

Cont'd from A1

Presentations by the PC leads for each of these workgroups were made at the Update Forum. There were 38 participants in the Housing Needs Survey that was sent out in March. Findings included that over half of respondents have lived in Boulder for over five years and that most of those have been living in Boulder for more than ten years. The vast majority intend to live in Boulder year-round and are either self-employed or employed at a local business. 81% are looking for home ownership, as opposed to rentals, and 0% are looking for seasonal rentals. 45% of respondents have a total household income of below $30,0000.

The high costs of land and construction, combined with the relatively low income level of the majority of those seeking housing, poses a challenge to attainable housing, however, this is a nationwide issue with larger implications than just Boulder. Other communities are dealing with the same issues, and some have come up with options.

A goal of the Update Forum was to pose a number of possible solutions, and then gauge public interest to determine in which directions the PC should delve deeper. After these options were presented, participants could move around the room where flipcharts were hung on the walls with the different options. Members of the public could write their comments on the flipcharts and were given three sticky dots each, to put on the options that they believed were best.

The options included making changes to the subdivision ordinance, including using average density, flexibility, or lowering the minimum lot size. In average density, the five acre minimum becomes an average, so, for example, a twenty acre lot could be split into two, 2.5 acre lots and two, 7.5 acre lots instead of four, five acre lots. Four lots are still the total allowed, and the average of the four lot subdivision remains at five. This could potentially assist with attainable housing because a 2.5 acre lot would cost less than the currently mandated five acre lot. By the end

The Learn Where You Live Scholarship is valued at up to $3,000 and is available to new students or returning graduates who want to further their education at WGU. Scholarship recipients will receive up to $750 per six-month term, renewable for up to four terms. Applicants must live in a rural area of the U.S. as is designated by the U.S. Census Bureau.

The launch of the new scholarship comes on the heels of WGU’s Northwest Regional team’s rural jobs report, Shifting Winds: Examining Employment Trends in Rural Northwest Regions .

The research, conducted in partnership with WGU Labs, shows that while demand for talent shifted throughout the pandemic, rural health care job listings continue to dominate in these regions, and rural STEM-sector job postings are rising significantly— with up to a 183% increase in rural areas. Demand for bachelor’s degrees has also increased as a requirement compared to high school diplomas.

The most sought-after skills were auditing, marketing, computer science, business development, project management, accounting, Agile methodology, finance, workflow management and data

“This is a commitment the university has made and certainly the Leavitt School of Health has made,” said WGU Senior Vice President of the Leavitt School of Health, Keith Smith, PhD. “We’re in the process of adding several non-clinical programs, a portfolio that meets the entire spectrum of needs for rural health.”

“Everything we do at Western Governors University is aimed at increasing accessibility and opportunity for each student, regardless of their location, background, motivations, or life situation,” added Tonya Drake, PhD., regional vice president of WGU. “Many students want to go back to school and pursue higher education, but the cost and location can be overwhelming and deter many students from attending college.”

Drake, who grew up in a rural area, had to leave her hometown to get her bachelor’s degree.

“A lot of people leave and don’t come back. Great strides have been made, but I still have nieces and nephews who live in rural parts of the state and wonder if they will have to leave their towns to get an education and a good-paying job,” she said. “The rural community is the backbone of our economy, and we look forward to helping people gain the degrees needed to obtain in-demand jobs in their hometowns.”

—Western Governors University

of the evening, this was a popular option where many participants chose to place their sticky dots.

Developer incentives were also discussed, including providing bonus density. In bonus density, if a developer agrees to maintain a certain amount of land or a certain number of lots as attainable housing or as open space, they are allowed higher density than the five acre standard. For example, a twenty acre lot could be split into five lots instead of the standard four, if a certain number of those lots are deeded with capped appreciation. The PC reiterated many times that the numbers they were putting out were merely examples. Once public opinion is received about what options the town is interested in, conversation will ensue about the specifics.

Overall, participation at the event was high, and by the end of the evening, the flipcharts were covered in comments and dots. The PC will be reviewing this information to determine how to move forward. A recap of the event is on their agenda for the July 13, 2023, PC meeting.