Special to Devils Lake Devils Lake– Western Governors University (WGU) has announced a new initiative aimed at removing financial barriers that might otherwise keep adults from moving forward with their education and career advancement plans. The fully online, nonprofit university’s Equitable Access Initiative will specifically address job and income loss, internet access issues, health concerns, changes in childcare and schooling, and overall uncertainty resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of this effort, WGU’s Board of Trustees has designated $6 million in grant and scholarship funding to assist new and existing students. The financial support includes: The WGU Resiliency Grant, which assists new students who are experiencing unforeseen financial struggles due to the pandemic by offering them up to $4,000 that can be used for tuition, fees and instructional materials to allow them to pursue their academic goals. The scholarship is frontloaded to cover $2,500 in the first six-month term and $750 for two subsequent terms—incentivizing students who already have some college credits to accelerate their degree path through the university’s competency-based education model.