Vanguard University

Vanguard University’s Academic Resource Center and Disability Services (ARC and DS) values what makes each student unique, and we believe differences make the educational experience richer for everyone. 

Transferring colleges can feel like a leap, especially when you're not sure how your units will count. At Vanguard University, the admissions team works to make the move clear, personal, and well supported. Transfer applicants with more than 30 undergraduate credits are considered for academic scholarships of $12,000 to $18,000, and 99 percent of Vanguard students receive financial aid. 

Dean of Vanguard University's School of Theology and Ministry, Renea Brathwaite, makes the case that intellectual pursuit and spiritual devotion were never meant to be separate, and that true worship engages the whole person, heart, soul, mind, and strength.

Vanguard University hosted Welcome Week from August 27–30, giving new students four days of activities designed to connect them to campus, faculty, and each other before the start of the semester.

This July, Nathan Lopez traded Vanguard's chapel stage for the main stage of the Assemblies of God's National Youth Conference in St. Louis, where he and the Vanguard Worship Collective (VWC) led more than 10,000 students a night in worship.

The FAFSA is what opens the door to the grants, loans, work-study, and institutional aid that make your student's education possible. It is also the first practical step toward the kind of whole-person formation Vanguard exists to provide.

The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is how you get considered for grants, work-study, and loans. It is also how Vanguard knows what kind of institutional aid to offer you. 

Discover how Vanguard University helps students build initiative, adaptability, and career readiness skills that extend beyond grades and rubrics.

Vanguard University celebrates a new chapter in the School of Education, as Renee Rose ‘92, MA, ABD, was named the school's next dean. Rose brings with her a depth of experience and a heart for forming educators that the Vanguard and local community knows well. Her role as dean began July 1, 2026.

Victoria Gomez ’27 brings a passion for service, student advocacy, and Christ-centered leadership as she steps into her role as Student Government Association president.

Beginning with the upcoming recruitment year, Vanguard University is proud to announce that prospective undergraduate students can now apply through the Common App, the nation's leading college application platform. This new step for VU that reflects the university's ongoing commitment to making the path to a Vanguard education as accessible and straightforward as possible.

Starting a career is tough, and many Gen Z workers are losing jobs not because they're bad employees, but because no one taught them the unwritten rules of the workplace. With a little guidance from the people who know them best, they can turn early stumbles into stepping stones.

On Friday, May 8, 2026, Vanguard University marked one of its most cherished traditions as 593 graduates from undergraduate, graduate, and professional education programs gathered at the Mariners Church Irvine campus for two commencement ceremonies. The occasion celebrated academic achievement, faith, perseverance, and the Spirit-empowered calling at the heart of Vanguard's mission.

Community members gathered to celebrate the heroic work of Orange County Sherriff Investigator Jeremy Johnson and County of Orange Senior Social Worker Gina Espinoza. 

Vanguard University was again recognized for its strong commitment to serving military-connected students, earning a prestigious Top Ten designation in the 2026–2027 Military Friendly® Schools rankings.

For Vanguard University’s March Celebration of Service, the campus community is recognizing Neurodiversity Awareness Month. Through workshops and other programming, students, faculty, and staff are exploring how to better understand and serve one another by honoring the unique ways God designed each person.

In December 2025, a group of Vanguard University resident advisors (RAs) and students worked together with one mission: to serve the local unhoused community during the holiday season. What began as a simple floor event in the residence hall blossomed into a deeply personal, collaborative initiative. 

Rebekah Robeck ’26 is a liberal arts major at Vanguard University with a double minor in theology and business. She’s also consistently involved on campus, served as a vocalist on the worship team during her sophomore year, and was a Resident Advisor for two years. But recently, the spotlight has been on her not for her involvement on campus, but rather the work she’s been doing in the community. In November, Robeck was recognized as an Aspiring Leader at the 2025 Greater Irvine Chamber ASPIRE Conference for her nonprofit, Let’s Be Kind, which aims to create a student-led culture of unity through kindness on school campuses.

Meet Brenton Fessler ’02, Vanguard's pastor of formation and administration. 

Vanguard University student and United States Navy veteran Kimmie Kim ’27, was named a recipient of the 2025–2026 VFW-SVA Legislative Fellowship

Named in honor of Pentecostal pioneer Dr. Jesse Miranda, Vanguard University’s Jesse Miranda Center for Hispanic Leadership exists to educate, equip, and empower Latina/o leaders across three vital domains: campus, church, and community. These pillars guide its mission at a university that values leadership rooted in faith and cultural identity. 

On Thursday, August 21, Vanguard University hosted its annual Welcome Week event—a tradition that marked the new academic year and signified an answer to the calling placed on these students’ lives for the next four years.

On June 25, Vanguard University’s School of Education hosted its first annual Disability Symposium, bringing together more than 130 participants to advance a vision of inclusion, belonging, and empowerment.  

Since that journey began in 2019, students in the Vanguard Honors Program have journeyed through a transformative academic experience that nurtures both intellectual growth and personal development.

Learn how a father and daughter experience the joy of serving together.   

Vanguard University received a $900,000 Legacy Grant from the In-N-Out Burger Foundation (INOBF)—becoming the first private university to earn this extraordinary funding.

Vanguard University’s Student Government Association has a new leader, and his journey to the presidency is as unique as his academic goals.

This year’s theme, Here Am I (Isaiah 6:8), reflects our desire to serve Christ and others with open hearts and obedient lives. Service is embedded in our mission, core values, curriculum, and strategic vision. As a Christ-centered, Spirit-empowered community, we seek to embody excellence in service across all areas—academic, spiritual, and social—trusting God to use us wherever we are called. Read more about the Year of Service

Throughout the Fall 2024 semester, Vanguard University hosted several student events, together known as the “Year of Civility”. This program was designed to foster thoughtful conversations and promote dignity, respect, and humility among students.