National University awarded federal grant to provide support services such as resume assistance, interview training, and career placement to military Veterans and families
SAN DIEGO, CA (November 11, 2024) — National University (NU) — a nonprofit Minority Serving Institution that serves 50,000 degree-seeking students and 80,000 workforce and professional development students annually — today announced that it has received a $500,000 U.S. Department of Veterans affairs grant to provide recently separated service members, military spouses and military caregivers with career and employment resources as they navigate the transition to the civilian workforce.
“More than 50 years ago, National University was founded by a former Navy Captain with a powerful mission: to equip military members with the practical skills and education needed to transition successfully into civilian life,” said Dr. Mark D. Milliron, NU president and CEO. “This legacy is more than just our history—it’s the foundation of our work today. This grant will help us expand that mission, empowering Veterans, their spouses, and military caregivers with the skills and knowledge essential for success in their next chapter.”
Nationally, more than 200,000 U.S. service members transition from military to civilian careers every year, bringing a wealth of skills, resilience, and dedication to a wide variety of civilian industries and businesses of every type and size. More than 650,000 Veterans are currently enrolled in higher education, leveraging education benefits to gain new credentials that strengthen career prospects. At the same time, Veterans, military spouses, and caregivers still face barriers to employment, including challenges translating military-earned skills and credentials to civilian roles, financial constraints, frequent relocations, and other obstacles.
To help close this gap, NU will partner with PsychArmor, the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, 50 Strong, Hiring Our Heroes and FASTPORT in implementing programs funded by the grant. The grant is part of $5 million the VA awarded in September to 13 organizations around the country as part of the Veteran and Spouse Transitional Assistance Grant Program, the first grant program of its kind to extend support to Veterans’ spouses. Grantee organizations will offer services such as resume assistance, interview training, job recruitment training, employment placement services, employment education and training, and referrals for employment.
National University brings to the program a rich history of serving active-duty military, Veterans and military spouses and families. Today, the university serves an extremely diverse student population of non-traditional and underserved learners from many walks of life. Half of undergraduates are active-duty military, Veterans, and their dependents. In March of this year, Military Friendly® designated NU a Gold Status Military Friendly School and a Top 10 Military Friendly Spouse School for 2024.
“We understand the needs faced by those who serve our country,” said Meg O’Grady, NU senior vice president for military and government affairs. “Our goal is not only to provide our military-affiliated students with a world-class education, but to support and nurture them as they face challenges such as earning a degree while serving on active duty, raising a family, dealing with financial pressures, and coping with frequent moves and deployments.”
National University has a strong tradition of providing holistic support to our military-affiliated students. Through the My Career Advancement Account Scholarship Program (MyCAA), eligible NU students can receive up to $4,000 in financial assistance to eligible military spouses for employment or career options. NU is also a member of the Department of Defense Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP), which helps military spouses advance their careers and educational opportunities with hundreds of partner employers that commit to recruit, hire, promote and retain military spouses.
To learn more about NU’s service to active-duty members of the military, Veterans, and their families, explore the National University Veteran Center.
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 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 served 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, health care, 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.