National Military Organization Partners with Excelsior College® to Extend Education Opportunities to Servicemembers, Veterans and their Spouses

SPRINGFIELD, Va., May 2, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Association for Uniformed Services (NAUS), a national military advocacy organization, announces an online higher education partnership between NAUS and Excelsior College, a nonprofit, accredited distance education college in Albany, NY.  The partnership provides NAUS members with access to reduced tuition and fees for associate and bachelor's degree programs.  Excelsior College serves 30,000 students, including approximately 10,000 servicemembers or veterans.

"We're pleased to partner with Excelsior and offer our members a great way to save money on pursing their educational goals," said NAUS President Bill Matz, Major General, U.S. Army, Retired.  "This is particularly important to our Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans, who are facing a tough job market as they retire from the military or complete their enlistments."  

Excelsior College President Dr. John Ebersole, a Coast Guard veteran, commended NAUS for its vision in recognizing the value of education as it reaches out to servicemembers.

"We have seen how education improves the quality of life for military members, veterans and their families," he said. "We are honored that NAUS has selected us as an education partner and we will partner with its leadership to raise awareness about education access for these deserving veterans and their spouses."

Excelsior College's credentials include:

• Excelsior's course, "Success Strategies for Military and Veterans" earned the 2010-2011 Innovation Award from the Center for Transforming Student Services (CENTSS).
• Executive director of Excelsior's Center for Military Education received the 2011 William E. Kennedy Award from the Council of College and Military Educators (CCME).
• Excelsior College received the designation "Best for Vets" from Military Times Edge magazine.

About NAUS

The National Association for Uniformed Services® (NAUS), www.naus.org, was founded in 1968 to protect and enhance the earned benefits of uniformed servicemembers, retirees, veterans, and their families and survivors, through nonpartisan advocacy on Capitol Hill and with other government officials.  NAUS is a war veterans organization as defined in IRS Code Section 501(c)(19).  

About Excelsior College

Excelsior College http://www.excelsior.edu is an accredited, nonprofit distance learning institution that focuses on removing obstacles to the educational goals of adult learners. Founded in 1971 and located in Albany, NY, Excelsior is a proven leader in the assessment and validation of student knowledge.  Excelsior College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

SOURCE National Association for Uniformed Services