- Visionary Voices, A Tribute to Our Veterans to take place on Oct. 19, 2013 at San Diego Marriott Marquis & Marina
- Wells Fargo to serve as title sponsor for second year in a row
- Seventeen Veteran students received scholarships as a result of last year’s event
San Diego, Calif. – National University, the second-largest private, nonprofit university in California, is hosting its second annual fundraising dinner in support of military Veteran students.
Visionary Voices, A Tribute to Our Veterans is slated for October 19, 2013, at the San Diego Marriott Marquis & Marina. Proceeds will benefit the National University Veterans’ Victory Scholarship fund, which provides Veteran students with short-term, needs-based financial assistance to meet and complete their educational goals.
Many Veterans receive educational assistance through the G.I. Bill®, but administrative backlogs and delayed benefits often disrupt a student’s ability to successfully complete their academic goals. Sometimes the G.I. Bill doesn’t cover the full cost of a Veteran’s education, and occasionally funds aren’t received at the full rate. For example, Veterans will no longer have online remedial courses covered because of recent changes to the GI Bill. This affects the opportunity to strengthen academic skills and can impact the basic housing allowance as well. With generous support from the community and National University, the University last year granted scholarships to 17 Veteran students to help overcome such obstacles and stay in class.
“We believe that one of the best ways to thank our military Veterans for their service is to support them in achieving their educational and career goals,” said Dr. Michael Cunningham, President of National University. “The Veterans’ Victory Scholarship is an integral component of National University’s ongoing, nationally-recognized efforts in providing accessible and affordable college educations to those who have served in the military.”
Councilman Kevin Faulconer will provide remarks, and Wells Fargo returns as title sponsor for this year’s Visionary Voices gala. E. Marie Landers, Senior Vice President and Regional Manager of the Commercial Banking Group for Wells Fargo, will chair the event.
“For years, Wells Fargo has demonstrated its belief that it is an honor to serve those who have so bravely served our country and in San Diego we continue this belief by increasing our support for Veterans, active duty military, and their families,” said Landers. “We are honored to serve as the Title Sponsor of the Visionary Voices Dinner for the second consecutive year and to have the opportunity to support our troops by giving Veterans the gratitude they deserve in the form of something priceless—education.”
In addition to funding the Veterans’ Victory Scholarship, the Visionary Voices gala enhances awareness of Veteran student issues and increases support for long-term solutions by bringing together military, business and community leaders. National University is providing an additional incentive for support by matching, dollar-for-dollar, all sponsorships at $5,000 or above.
National University is a leader in providing higher education to active duty, reserve, and Veteran students, and to the military community at large. It is a 2003 recipient of the Ray Ehrensberger Award for Excellence in Military Education, awarded to accredited institutions that have distinguished themselves to the principles of military education. Military Advanced Education magazine has named National University as one of America’s Top Military Friendly Colleges and Universities, and it has been designated by G.I. Jobs magazine as a “Military Friendly School” on multiple occasions.
To aid Veteran students in better adjusting to academic and civilian life, National University founded the Center of Excellence for Veteran Student Success (CEVSS) with support from the Department of Education’s Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education. SEVSS, serves as one-stop shop for increasing student retention, guiding Veteran students in achieving educational and career goals, and improving their quality of life. National University’s on-base learning centers, including nine in San Diego alone, contribute to the enrollment of more than 6,000 active duty military and Veteran students, which leads local universities.
Sponsorships, corporate tables, and individual tickets for Visionary Voices, A Tribute to Our Veterans are available now by contacting Leslie Murray at (858) 642-8802 or by email at [email protected].
About National University
Founded in 1971, National University is the second-largest private, nonprofit university in California. With 30,000 students and more than 230,000 alumni, National University is the flagship institution of the National University System. National University is dedicated to making lifelong learning opportunities accessible, challenging, and relevant to a diverse population of students. Five schools and one college – the College of Letters and Sciences; the School of Business and Management; the School of Education; the School of Engineering, Technology and Media; the School of Health and Human Services; and the School of Professional Studies – offer 133 graduate and undergraduate degrees and 23 teacher credentials at more than 45 locations throughout California and across the nation. A leader in online education, National University offers more than 70 degree programs via the Internet. National University is headquartered in La Jolla, California. To learn more, visit www.nu.edu.
GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government Web site at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.