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National University scholarships aim to support working adults, military personnel, and other nontraditional students in pursuing advanced degrees
SAN DIEGO, CA. (AUGUST 29, 2024) — National University (NU)—a Veteran-founded, nonprofit institution dedicated to serving the needs of nontraditional, working, and military students—today announced the launch of two new scholarship programs aimed at expanding access to graduate and doctoral education. The new scholarships will remove financial barriers to nontraditional students and historically underrepresented students interested in pursuing advanced degrees while balancing their professional and personal responsibilities.
“For ‘And-ers’—those juggling work and family and other responsibilities—financial barriers can too often derail talented, nontraditional students from advancing in their education and career paths,” said Dr. Mark D. Milliron, president and CEO of National University. “Access to advanced degrees can make a difference not only in creating pathways to career mobility for striving students, but in changing the economic trajectories of their families for generations to come.”
By 2031, 72% of all jobs in the United States will require postsecondary education, with a significant portion of these jobs needing advanced degrees, with particularly strong demand in industries like healthcare, education, and STEM fields. According to a report from the Brookings Institution, earning a graduate degree increases social mobility, with advanced degree holders 2.5 times more likely to move from the bottom quintile of income distribution to the top quintile over their lifetime.
To help close equity gaps and reduce financial barriers, National University consistently offers a range of NU-funded scholarships and grants. The new Launch Your Legacy Scholarship provides $1 million in doctoral-level funding, offering recipients a 35% tuition reduction. Additionally, the Master Your Future Scholarship provides a 50% tuition discount awarded to ten recipients, helping working adults advance their career skills through master’s education.
These scholarships are part of National University’s broader commitment to support nontraditional, working and military students at all degree levels, providing access to a variety of undergraduate-to-doctoral scholarship and grant opportunities based on eligibility and financial needs. The university’s new brand awareness campaign highlights the diverse roles and responsibilities of And-ers—students who simultaneously fill a variety of roles, such as professionals, parents, and community leaders.
As a Minority-Serving Institution, National University’s student population reflects the shifting—and highly diverse—demographics of adult learners in higher education today. Approximately 80% of NU’s students take all their classes online, while 93% take at least some courses online. The majority of NU’s students are working adults, and about half of its undergraduate students are active-duty servicemembers, Veterans, or their dependents.
Founded in 1971 by retired U.S. Navy Captain David Chigos, National University was designed to meet the complex workforce training and continuing education needs of San Diego’s military and working student population. Today, NU is one of the largest private, nonprofit universities in the United States, designated as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and home to the largest college of education in California.
To support its highly diverse student population, NU offers an array of support services and career-relevant academic programs that pair next-generation teaching and learning experiences to meet the needs of military students, working adults, and students of all ages and stages—the “And-ers™,” including its flexible four-, eight-, and twelve-week courses, offered online, on-site, and in hybrid-learning formats.
For more information on “And-ers,” scholarships, and how to apply, visit National University.
About National University: National University, a Veteran-founded nonprofit, has been dedicated to meeting the needs of nontraditional, working, and military students by providing accessible, affordable higher education opportunities since 1971. As San Diego’s largest private nonprofit university, NU offers over 190 online and on-campus programs and specializations with flexible four-week and eight-week classes and one-to-one graduate education models designed to help students reach their goals while balancing busy lives. Since its founding, the NU community has grown to 130,000 learners per year—50,000 degree-seeking students and 80,000 workforce and professional development students—and 240,000 alumni around the globe, many of whom serve in helping industries such as business, education, healthcare, cybersecurity, and law and criminal justice. To learn more about National University’s new possibilities in education including next-generation education, value-rich education, and Whole Human Education™, visit NU.edu.