MEDIA RELEASE__Bluffton University is pleased to announce it has received a $65,000 Vocation Across the Academy Grant from the Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education (NetVUE). The purpose of this grant is to support vocational exploration to help students develop more effective links between a philosophy of life and preparing for a career, and to include more faculty and students in the work of vocational exploration and discernment. 

Through this funding, the university will expand opportunities for students to reflect on questions of meaning, purpose and vocation through a variety of programming and curricular opportunities. The grant also provides Bluffton with the opportunity to secure an additional $65,000 in funding through a matching gift initiative. 

This grant is the second NetVUE-funded initiative awarded to Bluffton University during the 2026–27 year, further strengthening opportunities for students to engage in vocational and faith-focused discernment across campus. 

"At Bluffton, vocation is more than choosing a career, and we hope that these funds help current students wrestle with some of their biggest questions around identity and purpose," said Kathy Dickson, senior director of advancement and special projects. "This grant allows us multiple opportunities across departments and initiatives – from academics to athletics to student life and spiritual life, to integrate becoming students' best selves while growing at Bluffton. We look forward to this collaborative effort across campus together."