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Sunday, November 15, 2026Nov 15

Kennedy: Mother, daughter share in WGU success

Kim Slaughter,left, program mentor for WGU University, and her daughter, Chloe Smallwood, who is a grad student at WGU, work from home in Dunlap.
Kim Slaughter,left, program mentor for WGU University, and her daughter, Chloe Smallwood, who is a grad student at WGU, work from home in Dunlap.

Tennessee’s state-backed online university, WGU, is quietly building momentum.

About 4,000 Tennesseans are currently enrolled in WGU, which is short for the Utah-based Western Governors University.

It’s a convenient, lower-cost alternative to traditional colleges for people who have some previous higher-ed credits and want to return to school to complete a degree.

It’s also a pillar of the state’s “Drive to 55” initiative that aims to boost the share of Tennesseans who have a college degree or professional certificate to 55 percent by 2025.

photo Mark Kennedy

One Chattanooga-area family has gone all-in on WGU.