National University Opens New Center at Escondido YMCA to Provide Child Care, Veteran Support, and Other Student Services

The San Diego-based University's second "Nest" location, housed within Escondido YMCA's Campus for Community Well-Being, extends academic, career and family support to nontraditional, working and military-connected students across North San Diego County and the Inland Empire

SAN DIEGO, Sept. 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- National University (NU), the nonprofit, Veteran-founded institution serving over 50,000 nontraditional, working, and military-connected students annually through its degree programs, plus 80,000 more through workforce and professional programs, today announced the opening of its second Nest Healthy Learning Center in Escondido. The student support hub, located within the Escondido YMCA's Campus for Community Well-Being, provides co-working spaces for students to study, attend classes, connect with advisors and access technology, while also offering on-site child care, Veteran and military resources, and community programming to students throughout North San Diego County and the Inland Empire, including Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

"Higher education's center of gravity is moving. The 'typical' college student is no longer 18, living on campus and enrolled full time. Increasingly, they are professionals balancing work, family and a degree all at once. At National University, we are committed to meeting students where they are and helping them build pathways to career and economic mobility. That means supporting the whole of what they're managing, not just what happens in the classroom," said Dr. Mark D. Milliron, president and CEO of National University. "We call them ANDers™ because their lives are full of ands: working and studying, deployed and studying, raising kids and studying. The Nest is designed around those realities, giving students a place to study, people to turn to for help and reliable child care when they need it."

Nearly a quarter of U.S. undergraduate students are over 25, and the U.S. Department of Education estimates that 73 percent of undergraduates today have at least one nontraditional characteristic. These students are often balancing careers and families alongside coursework: about 70 percent work full-time or part-time while pursuing their degrees, and nearly half of adult learners report having dependent children. Meanwhile, first-year enrollment gains have been far stronger among older students, up nearly 20 percent for those 25 and older, compared to just 3 percent growth among traditional-age freshmen. This national trend is reflected in the student demographics of NU, where undergraduate, masters, and doctoral students have an average age of 37, a population that mirrors the shifting demographics of higher education today.

The Escondido Nest includes classrooms, computers to borrow, study areas and meeting rooms alongside an on-site Kids Club for child care through NU's partnership with the YMCA of San Diego County. First introduced at NU's Spectrum campus location, more than 25 student families have already accessed the Kids Club, including Sara Doran, a military spouse pursuing a degree at National University.

"As a military spouse with a deployed husband and no family nearby, having access to the YMCA Kids Club has made a huge difference for me," said Sara Doran, a student at National University. "There have been times when unexpected child care issues could have prevented me from attending class, and knowing this resource was available has allowed me to continue my education while ensuring my boys were safe and having fun."

Along with student parents, National University serves one of the nation's largest populations of military-connected students. The Escondido location's staff are trained to offer guidance on military benefits, career transition assistance and peer connection, and will extend career services, wellness resources and community programming to Veterans, military spouses and caregivers throughout North San Diego County, including many families connected to Camp Pendleton.

The new location also showcases the partnerships that make the Campus for Community Well-Being unique. By joining education, health and family-serving organizations under one roof, NU and YMCA of San Diego County are demonstrating how community partners can work together to better serve students, families and the surrounding region.

"Student parents are working to build better futures for themselves and their children, but too often, child care and other family responsibilities can stand in the way of that opportunity," said Todd Tibbits, president and CEO of the YMCA of San Diego County. "When we provide reliable, on-site child care, we're not just supporting a student, we're supporting the whole family. By helping parents stay focused on their education while their children have access to safe, quality care, we can help remove barriers that impact families across North County and create greater opportunity for generations to come."

Every wraparound service at the Escondido Nest is an extension of NU's Whole Human Education model, a holistic approach to student success built on the idea that a student's well-being, family stability and career trajectory matter just as much as what happens in the classroom. NU's Whole Human Education model offers an array of support services to meet the needs of military students, working learners, and students of all ages and stages, including its flexible four-, eight- and twelve-week courses, offered online, on-site, and in hybrid-learning formats.

Escondido marks the latest step in NU's broader Nest expansion, with a final planned location set to open in National City in spring 2027, extending the same wraparound model to students across the South Bay.

Community members are invited to tour the new space during an open house on September 16 and 17, from 1-6pm. Visit the Escondido Nest page for more information, including hours and how to schedule a visit.

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 — 50,000 degree-seeking students and 80,000 workforce and professional development students — and 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, visit NU.edu.

About The YMCA Escondido: The YMCA of San Diego County, established in 1882, is driven by purpose and the power of community through our programs and services. As the largest YMCA association in the nation, we proudly reach nearly 10% of San Diego County's population, fostering a healthier and more connected community. Together, we remain committed to nurturing hope, resilience and the potential of every individual. For more information about the Escondido YMCA – a Campus for Community Well-Being, please visit www.ymcasd.org/escondido.

SOURCE National University