Frequently Asked Questions

What are the nearest airports to Vanguard? When should I make travel arrangements for my student to come home for the holidays? How long should parents stay during orientation? What is my student’s mailing address? How can I find out about possible Financial Aid? Can students stay in the residence halls during vacations? When should my student return to campus following the Christmas and New Year’s Holiday Break? Can my student store boxes or other items on campus during the summer months? What telephone service is available on campus? What internet or e-mail service is available on campus? What are the different payment plans and methods of payment? What methods of payment may be used for tuition and fees? What services are offered to parents of Vanguard students? What alternatives are available to students who cannot attend a meal at the assigned time due to a class or work conflict? When are Vanguard’s vacations?

What activities are available for younger siblings during orientation? Where can we purchase items for the dorm room once we arrive on campus? How often should I visit my student? How often should they come home during the semester? Who should I contact in case of crisis situation, i.e. earthquake, fire, flood? Where should I stay when I visit my student? What are Vanguard’s school colors and mascot? How can parents get involved at Vanguard? What Career Development help is available to my student? When is Family Weekend, and why should I attend? Will I receive a copy of my student’s grades? Are there health services available on campus? What items should my student bring?

The most popular airports used by Vanguard students are Orange County/John Wayne (SNA) and Los Angeles International (LAX). Long Beach airport is also near the campus.

Vanguard does not offer a shuttle service to or from local airports. Students could also consider using the City Bus. Visit the Orange County Transportation Authority.

Please refer to the Academic Calendar for specific holiday dates. Check with your student regarding when tests, finals, papers, and important lectures are scheduled prior to making arrangements. We do encourage you to make your travel arrangements early, especially during the holidays, so your student leaves from and arrives at campus at the appropriate times. Vanguard does not offer any shuttle services.

Parents are asked to stay through the Prayer of Dedication during the Family Picnic on Saturday evening (freshmen) or the Family Dinner on Sunday evening (transfers). This special time for students and their families provides a wonderful opportunity for saying good-byes.

Following the Prayer of Dedication, the students will depart on their first excursion with the Frontline staff and the family portion of the weekend comes to a close. Please refer to the Parent Orientation section of our website for more details.

One note of advice, have your formal goodbye prior to coming to Vanguard. The busy day does not allow for the kind of farewell you or your student would ultimately hope for. You may only have 10-15 minutes to see them off at the end of the day.

Each student is assigned a mail box number during registration. The box number stays the same during their entire time at Vanguard, even if they change residence halls or move off-campus. All residential and commuter students are assigned a box that they are expected to check regularly. If mail is sent to a student without the box number, it will eventually be delivered to the student’s box, but it may be delayed. Mail Services encourages the use of the student’s box number to expedite delivery.

Please address mail to your student in this format:
[First and last name] (please either don’t use nicknames or include the legal name also).
Vanguard University
55 Fair Dr. [Box number here]
Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Visit Financial Aid’s site, or contact the Financial Aid Office at 714-556-3610 to speak with a Financial Aid Counselor.

During the Fall and Spring semesters, students may stay in their residence hall through vacation times, excluding Christmas Break (Friday, December 9, 2011 through Friday, January 7, 2012). Residence hall housing for Christmas and summer must be arranged separately and is subject to the relevant fee structures. For more housing information, visit our Residence Life and Housing page.

Your student may check in on January 7-8 (Noon–6:00pm). For other important dates like these, please refer to our Academic Calendar.

The University does not provide any storage for students’ belongings. You can contract with a portable container provider such as PODS or Public Storage, or rent local short-term storage for your student’s summer storage needs.

If you send your student’s belongings in a portable storage container, please check first with Facilities Services (714-556-3610) and Campus Public Safety (714-966-6799) about on-campus locations for the drop-off. We often repave and re-stripe parking lots during the summer months and we’d like to be certain your container won’t wind up in the middle of a project.

Phone extensions are assigned to all residential students but students need to provide the phone.

Internet access is free on campus. All of our residence hall rooms (as well as the library) are wired with Ethernet for high-speed (broadband) communication with both the Vanguard intranet and the Internet.

For Frequently Asked Questions about computer questions visit our Information Technology page.

There are two payment plan options, as follows:

1. Pay-In-Full: Pay the full amount referenced on your Bursar/Registration Statement by August 1 (fall term) and January 6 (spring term).
2. Semester Payment Plan: Pay your semester balance referenced on your Bursar/Registration Statement, interest free, in 5 or 4 monthly installments. There is an enrollment fee of $85 with this plan.
   

   Fall Semester 5 monthly installments beginning July 1st 4 monthly installments, beginning August 1st

   Spring Semester 5 monthly installments beginning December 1st 4 monthly installments beginning January 1st

To make a payment or sign up for a payment plan please visit TuitionPay. If you have any questions or need assistance with getting started, please call (800) 635-0120 to speak with a TuitionPay consultant. To avoid being dropped from the Fall semester, you must be paid in full or signed up on a payment plan by August 1st.

Additional information may be found at the Office of Accounting Operations website.

You can make tuition payments via paper check, electronic debit from your checking or savings account, or credit cards (through the Sallie Mae site). Once enrolled, you can process payments by accessing Manage Your Account our online account information system. You can view your statement each month online.

Make checks payable to Bank of America. Only checks made in U.S. dollars will be accepted. Enclose your check and the bottom portion of your statement in the return envelope that is provided. Please include your tuition payment plan account number on your check. If you are making a payment for two students, please include both account numbers on your check and include both payment stubs.

Mail payments to:

• Bank of America, P.O. Box 11953, Newark, NJ 07101-4953
• Sallie Mae, 463 Swansea Mall Drive, Swansea, MA 02777 Attn: Payments (for all overnight payments; no weekend or holiday delivery).

Sallie Mae will assess an additional charge if a check is not honored by your bank. To encourage timely payments, a late fee may be assessed. If your tuition payment plan account is canceled or terminated, you must still fulfill your financial obligations to the school. Sallie Mae is obligated to forward to the school only those payments it has received from you.

The Office of Parent Relations at Vanguard is available to address concerns that parents may have and to provide services while their student is at Vanguard. Parent Relations may be reached at (714) 619-6487 or at parentrelations@vanguard.edu.

Special events are planned for parents during Welcome Week and also during Family Weekend in early fall. Visit our homepage for more information on these important events. A variety of services are provided through the Office of Parent Relations including our Vanguard Care Packages program, which features gift packages and birthday cakes. Visit Care Packages for more information.

Parents may also order Survival Sacks at the end of each semester from the Office of Spiritual Formation. Information will be distributed to parents regarding the Survival Sacks. Spiritual Formation can be reached at 714-556-3610 x 4910.

Students who cannot attend a meal because of scheduling problems may use flex dollars to purchase alternate food options from Outtakes. Outtakes is our convenience store, located in the Cove. It is a retail food service operation which offers beverages, sandwiches, salads, snacks, desserts, and basic necessities. It is open all day and evening, Monday through Friday, with additional hours on Saturday and Sunday. Students may use Flex Dollars or cash to eat in Outtakes.

Learn more about Vanguard’s food services by checking out their web site.

Please refer to the Academic Calendar for specific holiday dates for each academic year. The University is closed on the following holidays: Labor Day, Fall Holiday, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, Martin Luther King Day, President’s Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, and Independence Day.

The academic calendar can be accessed on the Office of the Registrar’s website or requested in magnet form for your convenience. Just fill out the contact form and it will be sent to you as soon as possible.

There are not any specific events scheduled for siblings of Vanguard students. Siblings are welcome to attend any of the parent seminars, sessions, meals, etc. with their parents. The entire family is encouraged to attend the Family Picnic and Prayer of Dedication on Saturday evening. Please note: There is an additional cost for more than two people at the Family Picnic on Saturday.

Although family members are welcome and encouraged to come to orientation, the ages of the children should be considered when parents are determining which events to attend as many of the events include speakers. Many families choose to make alternate arrangements for their younger siblings (babysitters, drop-off at amusement parks, etc.) during the day on Saturday, so parents may focus on the orientation events.

No guests or family members are able to accompany the new Vanguard student to the mandatory Student Orientation activities, nor will the new Vanguard student be free to watch their younger siblings while their parents attend sessions on Saturday. Children under the age of 18 should be accompanied by an adult while they are on campus.

There’s an abundance of stores located in close proximity to the campus, including: Home Depot, Target, IKEA, K-Mart, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Staples, Office Depot, TJ Maxx, Ross, Albertson’s Grocery Store, Von’s Grocery Store, Ralph’s Grocery Store and several malls, including South Coast Plaza and The Lab. A quick Google search will help you find what you need.

There are a variety of factors that must be considered when determining how frequently parents visit their students and how often students visit their parents. This is of course an individual decision between students and their parents, however we do have a few suggestions.

Studies show that students are more likely to remain at a university if they do not go home until Thanksgiving. We know that may be too long for some families to be apart, but keep that in mind when you decide how often is right for you.

Visit your student, but please: no surprises. Homework, jobs and social activities tend to fill up a student’s schedule. Allow your student time to plan ahead.

Come to Family Weekend! This is a special event that is scheduled strategically in early fall when students may be suffering from homesickness and need additional support. During this time families have the opportunity to visit chapel, sit in on classes, attend a concert or sporting event, attend church with their student and meet their student’s friends.

Campus Public Safety (714) 966-6799.

There are several hotels in the local area that offer discounts to parents and family members of Vanguard students. For a complete listing, visit our local hotels page. You can also run a quick Google search or use a service like Kayak.com to find the best rates.

We don’t recommended that parents stay in their student’s residence hall room. However, students are permitted to have overnight guests of the same gender for two nights with permission of the Resident Director or Resident Assistant.

Vanguard’s school colors are blue and gold. The mascot is the Lion. To find out information about Vanguard athletics, please check our Vanguard Athletics site. To order logo items, check out the Vanguard Bookstore.

We want parents to be involved in supporting their students at Vanguard! There are a variety of ways that parents can serve students and other Vanguard parents.

To stay connected with the University, parents can sign up to be part of our weekly parent e-mail news update on the contact form on our homepage. To stay connected to your student, we encourage you to send letters and care packages to your student and that service is available through our Vanguard Care Package program.

Parents are also encouraged to attend Family Weekend each year, as well as sporting events, theater, or music performances on campus or in your local area.

The Career Center exists to empower and equip your student to discover their interests, values, and abilities in order to transition into meaningful life work. They are present to provide relevant resources, avenues for exploration and experienced career coaching. Services offered include:

• Career Coaching: Career and major exploration, personality assessments including Myers-Briggs & Strong’s Interest Inventory, StrengthsQuest, and Keirsey Temperament Sorter
• Finding a Job: A little preparation goes a long way with a wealth of information you can use in your job search.
• Finding an Internship: gain related work experience and improved job skills
• Resume: Resume building and cover letter strategy
• Interview Skills: Keys to a successful interview
• Job Listings: local job listings just for Vanguard students
• Career Links: Information on career choices and other major-specific resources, including websites you may find helpful.
• Events: Career fair; graduate school and seminary fair; camp and ministry fair; networking sessions with employers; specialized workshops exploring your faith and your career path
• Graduate School: Help finding the right school and practice entrance exam opportunities
• School District Directory: Download the directory has contact information for the counties of Orange, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside and San Diego
• Study Abroad Programs: Study abroad and earn units for your coursework.
• Millers Analogies Testing (MAT):  Offered Tuesdays and Thursdays.  Call (714)556-3610 x4770 for an appointment.
• Employers: Post a job listing for Vanguard University students.

For a complete listing of their services, visit the Career Development website.

Family Weekend is placed strategically around the 6 week marker to assist students in their transition to the fall semester. Parents, siblings, grandparents, and any other family members are highly encouraged to come. It’s a valuable time for both you and your student to interact and help make the Vanguard experience more complete. Look for more details on this year’s Family Weekend.

No. Please see the note on student privacy.

We do not have a health center on campus.

We recommend you check out our packing list.