LINCOLN- This week Gov. Pete Ricketts and others inked an agreement to make completing a college degree easier and more affordable for nontraditional, adult students who cannot travel, because of the demands of life or a rural location, to a brick-and-mortar school.

“This is about giving everyone access to a life-changing education,” said Paul Illich, president of Southeast Community College.

Under an agreement signed by Ricketts and Western Governors University, transferring credits from institutions such as Southeast will be easier, and Nebraska students will gain access to the state’s $21 million worth of “Opportunity Grant” scholarships for post-secondary studies.

Ricketts said Nebraskans who have some college studies but no degree are a pool of “untapped talent” in a world where about 71% of jobs require a post-secondary degree.

This spring, the Nebraska Legislature established a goal of getting 70% of the state’s workforce, ages 25-34, to have “a degree, certificate, diploma, or other postsecondary or industry-recognized credential with economic value by 2030.” Currently, about 58% of that group have degrees.

Ricketts said that making it easier, and more affordable, for Nebraskans to attend WGU is another step to address the state’s workforce shortage. Most recently, 52,000 jobs were unfilled in the state.

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