Scholarship for U.S. Military, Spouses, and Dependents

Scholarship offsets tuition costs to honor those who have served our country, including U.S. Active Duty, National Guard, Reserve, Spouses, and Dependents

As part of its ongoing mission to engage, enlighten, and empower adults who seek educational programs that will prepare them for a lifetime of learning and service, Union Institute & University (UI&U), a not-for-profit and regionally accredited university, today announced a scholarship for U.S. Active Duty, National Guard, and Reserves using their military benefits and Tuition Assistance (TA) to help offset the costs of a college education. The scholarship makes a college degree more attainable to those who are serving our country.

Since April 2012, Union Institute & University has provided scholarships to meet the Military Friendly role of $250/credit hour for active duty personnel in Union Institute & University undergraduate programs.* The lower tuition allows for U.S. Active Duty, National Guard, and Reserve to have their Tuition Assistance benefits fully cover their tuition costs. In addition, eligible spouses and dependents of U.S. Active Duty, National Guard, and Reserves will pay $350 per credit hour under the new scholarship.

Union Institute & University President Roger H. Sublett, says the decision to lower the tuition was made to serve U.S. service personnel. “Since 1964, Union Institute & University has provided quality education for adults through flexible and relevant programs. This scholarship helps those who serve in the military earn their education with as little out of pocket cost to them as possible. We are pleased to provide the scholarship in honor of the time and effort our troops have already paid in service to their country.”

Union Institute & University has increased its focus to serve the military by hiring two full-time positions to recruit Active Duty, National Guard, and Reserve, as well as veterans.

Former U.S. Navy corpsman Vanessa Reinosa, Union’s military enrollment counselor, is working to make sure that once military personnel enroll in one of Union’s many programs, they get the benefits they deserve. “I love helping service members and veterans obtain their degrees and make use of their benefits,” Reinosa said. “We are proud of our excellent customer service to our veterans. We go above and beyond.”  She had the opposite experience when she continued her own education as a veteran. Essentially, Reinosa was told she was on her own when it came to dealing with her benefits. “I was not helped very much, which is one reason I strive to do as much as I can for the service members and veterans who are interested in Union Institute & University,” she said. “As students, they are mature, they take care of business, and they are built to succeed. They communicate very well and have confidence. When I started in this position we had 17 military students at the Sacramento campus; now we have 34.”

“Union is the perfect place for our military and veterans to finish their degrees,” Reinosa says. “We offer a wide array of programs – from Criminal Justice Management to Social Work and more, all through flexible delivery options, including totally online options, small classroom settings, or low residency programs. Also, Union’s liberal transfer policy allows military personnel to earn credit for past college level training, transferring in up to 90 hours towards the undergraduate requirement of 120 credit hours. Our students don’t need to relocate to finish their degrees. We meet them where they are.”

Scholarships are also available for Union’s master’s programs. Veterans who have exhausted their benefits or whose benefits have expired may also qualify for a scholarship that provides up to $3,000 in assistance for Union's bachelor’s and master’s programs.

Union Institute & University is considered by G.I. Jobs to be a Serviceman’s Opportunity College and Military Friendly School. Union also participates in the POST 9/11 GI Bill’s Yellow Ribbon Program.

The university is currently accepting undergraduate applications for the Spring 2014 trimester beginning May 5. For more information about Union Institute & University's military and/or veteran scholarships, please email veterans@myunion.edu.

*This scholarship allows zero out-of-pocket tuition for active duty personnel receiving tuition assistance from U.S. Armed Services.

Union Institute & University is a non-profit, accredited, private university specializing in adult and distance education since 1964. Union strives to engage, enlighten, and empower students in a lifetime of learning and service. The university’s transformational and socially relevant programs promote creative and critical thinking, and connect scholarship with real-world practice. Flexible online classes, brief residencies, classroom experiences, and hybrid models of instruction lead to undergraduate, masters, and doctoral degrees. Union graduates, including 14 college presidents, leaders in the public, private, and non-profit sectors, members of the United States Congress, and the first female prime minister of Jamaica, promote Union’s legacy of utilizing education to transform lives and communities.