Western Governors University, a fully online, nonprofit university, has entered into a partnership with Des Moines Area Community College. The new partnership allows DMACC students who have completed their associate degree to seamlessly transfer their credits to WGU to earn a four-year degree. The agreement, signed this morning in a virtual ceremony, enables DMACC students to earn a bachelor’s degree in business, information technology, K-12 teacher education or health professions, including nursing, at WGU. Formed in 1997 by a group of western governors, the online university describes itself as the largest in the United States, with nearly 120,000 online students. More than 38,000 WGU students earned degrees last year. With the new partnership, DMACC graduates enrolling in WGU will be eligible to apply for the university’s Community College Partnership Scholarships, valued at up to $2,500 each. The scholarships are open to DMACC staff and graduates and apply toward WGU’s flat-rate tuition of about $3,500 per six-month term. WGU has active partnerships with 436 other postsecondary institutions, according to its 2019 annual report.