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DeVry University Announces Employment Gap Scholarship Program to Aid Displaced Workers


OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–DeVry University is establishing a new, unique scholarship program that offers to assist recently displaced workers pursue their dream of a college degree and gain new skill sets that are critical for career success. The Employment Gap Scholarship program will award up to $9,000 in scholarships to qualified, new students who have lost their jobs in the last 12 months.

“Higher education is a vital building block in advanced career training and creating economic opportunity,” said David J. Pauldine, president of DeVry University. “We have established the Employment Gap Scholarships to support hundreds of potential students who are determined to hone their current skills, and earn a degree that will strengthen their career prospects in a competitive job market.”

DeVry University enables students to obtain the new skill sets and retraining required for positions in high-growth fields. For example, its College of Engineering and Information Sciences provides undergraduate degree programs that are required for positions as computer network systems analysts, which are in the top-ranked job category for 2006 to 2016, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. The number of jobs in this field is predicted to increase 53.4 percent by 2016.1

Scholarship Details

DeVry University will award two Employment Gap Scholarships per eight-week session at each of its 86 undergraduate locations nationwide, as well as online, totaling more than 725 individual scholarships. These scholarships will provide up to $1,000 per semester (two eight-week sessions), per qualified student; up to a maximum of $9,000.

The Employment Gap Scholarships will be awarded during the May, July, September and November 2009 sessions to new undergraduate students who have been displaced from their jobs during the past year. They are intended to help fill the gap between tuition costs and financial aid, and will be awarded to the students who demonstrate the greatest financial need.

The scholarship application deadline for the May 2009 session is March 30, 2009. Additional details on the scholarship, including the application form and detailed information on basic eligibility and criteria, are available at www.devry.edu/tuition/scholarships-more.jsp.

Increased Enrollment and Graduate Employment

During the last three months of 2008, DeVry University new undergraduate enrollment increased 19.7 percent and total undergraduate enrollment rose 16.9 percent. Many of these students are pursuing bachelors degree programs tied to an in-demand career, such as healthcare, computer engineering, information technology and accounting.

“We are driven to give students the opportunity to succeed,” added Pauldine. “And that includes the financial support they need to pursue the career of their choice.”

DeVry University maintains a focus on academic outcomes that result in a strong employment rate among its graduates. System-wide, 92 percent of DeVry University’s October ‘07, February ‘08 and June ‘08 graduates in the active job market were employed in their fields within six months of graduation.

About DeVry University

As one of the largest degree-granting higher education systems in North America, DeVry University provides high-quality, career-oriented associate, bachelors and master’s degree programs in technology, healthcare technology, business and management. More than 65,000 students are enrolled at its 93 locations in 26 states and Canada, as well as through DeVry University Online. DeVry University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association, www.ncahlc.org. DeVry University, a division of DeVry Inc. (NYSE:DV), is based in Oakbrook Terrace, Ill. For more information about DeVry University, visit www.devry.edu.

1 U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Statistics, “Economic and Employment Projections: 2006 – 2016.”


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