University of Baltimore receives $2.4M donation for veteran, active military student aid

The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation announced Friday a multiyear, $2.4 million grant to support both the Bob Parsons Veterans Center and The Bob Parsons Veterans Advocacy Clinic at the University of Baltimore.

Parsons, the founder and CEO of PXG, is a UB graduate, Baltimore native and U.S. Marine Corps veteran who fought in the Vietnam War. He said the transition back into civilian life and getting a college education can be challenging. Having specialized support and legal counsel when needed can go a long way in making successful transitions possible.

These two areas of focus — one serving all veterans who seek an education at the university, the other pairing University of Baltimore School of Law students and faculty in an advocacy role with Baltimore-based veterans in need of legal services — form the nexus of the university’s dedication to supporting members of the military during or after their service.

The Bob Parsons Veterans Center currently reaches more than 300 veteran and military-affiliated students, offering them a place to study, socialize and participate in activities. The center also provides mentorship programs and helps ensure these students graduate and are successfully prepared to reach their full potential in the workforce and their personal lives.

The recent grant will specifically support a new full-time staff member that will allow the center to offer even more academic, career, service and social-based programming.

The Bob Parsons Veterans Advocacy Clinic provides law students at the university with the opportunity to engage with veterans and to learn about the legal difficulties they often encounter after leaving the military. Through the process of pro bono representation, students gain empathy and knowledge about the inadequate support and resources that exist for veterans. The clinic teaches the skills necessary to advocate for veterans through individual case representation and affect legislative policy changes that have transformed the way veterans are treated by the legal system.

Parsons’ support for his alma mater extends beyond funding for veterans’ programs. Established in 2020, The Bob Parsons Scholarship Fund is the single largest donation to a scholarship program in the history of The University of Baltimore. This recent grant brings Parsons’ total support to the university to more than $9 million since 2013.

The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation offers support to nonprofit organizations successfully working to empower, educate, nurture and nourish people during what is often the darkest time of their lives. Founded in 2012 by the Parsons to provide hope and life-changing assistance to the country’s most vulnerable populations, the foundation aims to offer critical funding at critical times to those in need. The foundation’s giving is driven by the core belief that all people-regardless of race, religion, roots, economic status, sexual orientation or gender identity-deserve access to quality healthcare, education and a safe place to call home.