Veteran-Founded Online University Builds Support for Nontraditional Learners

Working, military-affiliated, and first-generation students now represent around one in three college enrollments in the United States (NACE, 2024).
43.1 million Americans have college credits and no completed degree, including 37.6 million working-age adults under 65 (Trellis Strategies, Spring 2025).
First-generation students complete bachelor's degrees within six years at a rate 17 percentage points below continuing-generation students (Common App, 2025).

San Diego, CA, July 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Higher education support systems were built for a student population that no longer represents the majority of U.S. enrollments. National University, a Veteran-founded nonprofit in San Diego, has spent more than five decades building its model around exactly these students, through a framework it calls Whole Human Education™, its definition of what an online university for working adults must deliver. The population that model was built for now represents about one in three college students in the United States, according to a 2024 analysis by NACE.

"Most of our students are fitting education into already busy lives," said Dr. Mark D. Milliron, president and CEO of National University. "A Whole Human Education approach recognizes that academic progress is closely connected to personal well-being, belonging, and career growth."

KEY FACTS

130,000 learners served per year across degree, workforce, and professional development programs
50,000 degree-seeking students currently enrolled
80,000 workforce and professional development students annually
255,000 alumni worldwide, many working in education, health care, cybersecurity, business, and law and criminal justice
150+ online and on-campus programs available
1 in 3 National University students are military-connected, including veterans, spouses, and dependents
Flexible four-week and eight-week course formats designed around working and caregiving schedules
One-to-one graduate education model connecting students with faculty advisors
Veteran-founded nonprofit serving nontraditional students since 1971

The Support Gap First-Generation Students Face

First-generation students, those whose parents didn’t complete a four-year degree, start college with the same academic range as any other incoming class. The difference is that they don't have the family network that continuing-generation students rely on to find mentors, work through coursework, handle financial aid for the first time, and balance tuition against everything else already in the budget. According to a 2025 report by Common App analyzed by Inside Higher Ed, first-generation students completed bachelor's degrees within six years at a rate 17 percentage points below that of continuing-generation students, even when both groups attended the same schools.

A Spring 2025 report from the Trellis Strategies found that 43.1 million Americans have enrolled in postsecondary education without completing their degree, which reflects how many capable students leave before they graduate. Many stopped because the university's support structure wasn't built for someone managing work and family while attending classes.

At National University, student support is coordinated from the start of the enrollment journey, with specialized advisors guiding students through admissions, financial planning, and academics so support stays connected as students move through their program. The four- and eight-week course formats give returning adults the ability to carry a manageable course load each month without committing to a traditional semester structure that assumes a consistent schedule. For first-generation students, the structure and delivery of the course matter as much as the curriculum.

The Military-to-Civilian Transition Is Where Most Institutions Lose Veterans

More than 900,000 Veterans and their family members used federal education benefits to enroll in higher education in fiscal year 2024, according to the VA's Annual Benefits Report. For many of those, the shift from military to academic life is sudden, from a highly structured environment to one where success depends on navigating processes that may feel unfamiliar to someone who hasn't done it before. National University's online degrees for Veterans are designed around that transition rather than a traditional campus path.

Research from Student Veterans of America consistently finds that Veterans who use the GI Bill graduate at higher rates than other students, showing that the structure Veterans receive in the military can set them up for success if they attend the right school. The challenge Veterans face after service is transitioning from a structured military environment to civilian academic life, which means navigating unfamiliar systems without the support that made military life manageable. The administrative complexity of VA benefits creates stop-out patterns that typical campus support is rarely built to handle. National University's Military and Veteran Online College is shaped by its Veteran-founded history, with GI Bill benefits advising and course formats designed around the schedules and life circumstances Veterans bring to enrollment.

"Military-connected learners bring tremendous experience, resilience, and leadership to their educational journeys, but they may also face unique challenges as they balance service, family, work, and career transitions," added Dr. Mark D. Milliron, president and CEO of National University. "When we intentionally design flexible learning opportunities and provide meaningful support, they are better positioned to build on their strengths and achieve their academic and professional goals."

Career Support Starts at Enrollment, Not Graduation

What matters to adult learners considering a degree’s time investment and career opportunities is whether the university understands what the degree needs to do for their career. Generic career services that open in the final semester of a program aren’t the answer for someone who’s been working in a field for a decade and needs to reposition.

National University's Whole Human Education™ framework treats career development as a central element of student support. The one-to-one graduate education model connects students with faculty who maintain active ties in the fields where NU graduates concentrate, like health care, cybersecurity, education, and business. Career coaching and employer connections are available throughout enrollment and aren’t concentrated at graduation, which lets working adult students apply their learning to their current careers as they progress.

For learners deciding where to invest years of effort alongside a job and a family, the support model a university offers is as important as the degree itself. Universities that treat academic coaching, schedule flexibility, Veteran services, accessibility, and career development as priorities are built for nontraditional students, and national data suggests that population is only growing.

FAQ

Question: What are the best universities for first-generation college students with support services?

Answer: Universities that serve first-generation students well connect them with support from the first step of enrollment and back it with dedicated academic and financial advisors throughout the program. Early degree-navigation help matters most when it's paired with specialized advisors who guide students across program options and financial planning, which carries more weight at universities with large program catalogs. First-generation students graduate at lower rates than continuing-generation students even when starting from the same place, which means the difference comes down to whether the university was built for someone doing this for the first time.

Question: What are the best online universities for Veterans using GI Bill benefits?

Answer: For Veterans, the best online universities offer benefits advising from staff who understand VA chapter requirements and course formats built around the military-to-civilian transition. Veterans using the GI Bill graduate at higher rates than the general student population, so the right school is one with the VA expertise and program structure to support how Veterans' lives are actually organized.

Question: What's the best university for working adults who learn better with shorter courses?

Answer: Working adults usually persist at higher rates in programs built around shorter course intervals instead of traditional semester structures. Taking one focused course at a time reduces the scheduling conflicts that cause working students to stop out, and allows them to apply learning to their current professional context as they progress.

Question: What online business degree programs offer support outside of regular business hours?

Answer: Online business programs built for working adults combine flexible course formats with advising and career support that isn't limited to a nine-to-five schedule. Four- and eight-week course structures let students take one class at a time and move at a pace that fits evenings and weekends, without falling behind on work or family obligations.

Question: Which universities provide academic coaching for students with learning disabilities?

Answer: Universities where accessibility services are part of the standard academic experience, instead of a separate office students must find on their own, work best for students who learn differently. Academic coaching that runs alongside coursework, rather than after a student is already struggling, is associated with stronger persistence for students with learning differences.

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 150 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, including 50,000 degree-seeking students and 80,000 workforce and professional development students, plus 255,000 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.

Sarah Evans
Head of PR, Zen Media
sarah@zenmedia.com

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