National University and San Diego Mesa College’s renewed partnership increases education pathways by removing barriers for nontraditional, working, and military students to obtain bachelor’s degrees.
SAN DIEGO, CA (MAY 16, 2024) — National University (NU), — a distinguished nonprofit Minority Serving Institution that serves more than 130,000 learners annually through its degree and professional training programs and San Diego Mesa College (Mesa) — one of the largest community colleges in California, serving 20,000 students per year and offering over 200 associate degree and certificate programs today announce a renewed educational partnership to further advance a higher educational commitment to increase educational attainment opportunities for nontraditional, working and military students in San Diego.
The National University and San Diego Mesa College partnership paves the way to higher educational opportunities by opening doors, removing barriers, and creating seamless pathways for aspiring scholars.
“This renewed partnership aims to bridge the gap between community college and university transfer enabling community college students to continue their higher educational goals, helping them to change their lives, improve the future of their families, and positively impact their communities,” said Dr. Mark D. Milliron, president and CEO at National University. “National University shares a commitment with Mesa College to provide current and future generations of nontraditional, working, and military students with the best opportunities for a quality and equitable education.”
The NU and Mesa partnership provides striving community college students seamless transfer pathways and offers a 46% tuition reduction scholarship for associate degree transfer students. Further, the partnership offers Mesa employees educational advancement opportunities through a 25% tuition discount scholarship for most bachelor’s and master’s degrees and a 15% tuition discount scholarship for doctoral degrees.
“We are so excited to be renewing this partnership with National University,” stated Dr. Ashanti T. Hands, President of San Diego Mesa College. “This tuition discount will allow hundreds of Mesa students the opportunity to continue on their respective pathways as they pursue their higher education dreams, and fulfill their purpose by becoming contributors to the greater San Diego community.”
NU delivers on this commitment by offering a credential-rich education with industry-relevant degree programs ensuring graduates are well-prepared for real-world challenges. Further, NU’s holistic approach to student support, well-being, and success — called Whole Human Education™ — is about supporting the whole student and provides the financial, academic, emotional, career, and family support students need to successfully attain a higher educational degree. NU and Mesa are part of the California Associate Degree Transfer (ADT) Program that assists students with financial scholarships when they transfer between California community colleges and universities.
“As Hispanic Serving Institutions and Military Friendly Schools, NU and Mesa share a mission to remove barriers so that nontraditional students, including working, diverse, and military students, will have the best access to quality education,” said Dr. Gerardo de los Santos, vice president of community college relations at National University and recent inductee into the American Association of Community College Leadership Hall of Fame. “NU delivers on this by offering a credential-rich education with industry-relevant degree programs ensuring graduates are well prepared for real-world challenges.”
NU offers strong and diverse areas of career options to community college transfer students with over 190+ online programs with flexible four-week and eight-week classes. Over the past four years, more than 1,500 Mesa students have transferred to NU designating Mesa as the number one community college for transfer students to NU. The top five transfer programs include:
1. Bachelor of Business Administration
2. BS Cybersecurity
3. BA Psychology
4. BS Computer Science
5. Bachelor of Accounting
Visit NU.edu to learn more about the seamless transfer process between Mesa and NU.
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 230,000 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.
About San Diego Mesa College
San Diego Mesa College is a fully accredited, comprehensive college committed to equity and excellence. We honor our diverse community of students, faculty, professional staff, and administrators who collaborate to foster scholarship, leadership, access, and innovation in an inclusive learning environment. By promoting student learning and achievement that leads to degrees and certificates, transfer, workforce training, and lifelong learning, we empower our students to reach their educational goals and shape their future. Among the largest community colleges in California, Mesa serves 20,000 students per year, 25% of whom are full-time. Mesa offers over 200 associate degree and certificate programs and is one of 15 California community colleges offering a four-year baccalaureate degree. Mesa ranks as San Diego’s top transfer institution, is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI), and a Military Friendly School Gold Status Institution, serving nearly 2,500 veterans and their families.