Warrior-Scholar Project and Columbia University Partner to Empower Student Veterans

Warrior-Scholar Project (WSP) is excited to announce its renewed partnership with Columbia University, showcasing the university's ongoing dedication to increasing veteran student support. For the seventh year, Columbia will host the WSP Humanities Academic Boot Camp from July 13-20 on the Morningside Heights campus, which features an intensive curriculum designed to equip veterans for academic success.

For many service members, transitioning from the military to academic life is a critical next step in pursuing a new career—but returning to school as a nontraditional student and veteran can be challenging.

The WSP-Columbia Academic Boot Camp bridges the gap by focusing on key elements that can feel unfamiliar to many veterans after years away from the classroom. From providing opportunities to engage directly with university faculty and receiving invaluable mentorship from fellow student veterans, to learning effective study strategies to acclimate to an academic environment, the boot camp helps ensure participants are well-prepared to tackle the rigors of higher education and thrive in their academic pursuits and beyond.

“We know first-hand the significant benefits of a program like Warrior-Scholar Project that not only gives veterans the tools and techniques to help them as they embark on a new educational path, but also provides invaluable support to set them up for success on that path and beyond,” said Curtis Rodgers, Vice Dean of the Columbia School of General Studies. “Our long-standing partnership with WSP is one we’re very proud of and the success of the WSP-Columbia program is evident in the number of bootcamp alums enrolled at Columbia GS and other top schools across the nation.”

"WSP pushes you to think outside the box and become the dream student you want to be, but maybe you don't know how to be. Once you embrace the rigor of the course and step outside your comfort zone, the belief you have in yourself will be at an all-time high because all of the work and long hours really do pay off," said Alexandria Durrant, a U.S. Navy veteran and WSP-Columbia alumna.  

The WSP impact is far-reaching: 88% of WSP alumni have completed or are on track to earn a college degree, compared to 72% of all student veterans and 65% of traditional undergraduate students. WSP participants are also diverse; of WSP's 2023 cohort, 57% identified as first-generation college students, 65% were persons of color, and 20% were women.

About Warrior-Scholar Project

Warrior-Scholar Project's mission is to ensure that every degree-seeking enlisted veteran succeeds in their pursuit of higher education. Since its founding in 2011, more than 2,000 student veterans have participated in a WSP Academic Boot Camp, its flagship program, and 88% of program alumni have earned or are on track to earn a college degree. The immersive college preparatory experience, hosted in partnership with leading universities nationwide, helps veterans prepare for the cultural transition from the military to academia. 

More than boot camps, WSP also offers programs to address the unique needs of student veterans, including targeted programming for underrepresented veterans, graduate school mentorship, and career support. Recognizing the value WSP brings to veterans, the Dept. of Veterans Affairs collaborates with WSP to help veterans access information about WSP's free programming. For more information, visit www.warrior-scholar.org.

About Columbia University

Among the world’s leading research universities, Columbia University in the City of New York continually seeks to advance the frontiers of scholarship and foster a campus community deeply engaged in understanding and confronting the complex issues of our time through teaching, research, patient care, and public service. The University comprises 17 undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools, and four affiliated colleges and seminaries in Northern Manhattan, as well as a wide array of research institutes and global centers located in major cities around the world. More than 40,000 accomplished students, award-winning faculty, and professional staff define the University’s underlying values and commitment to pursuing new knowledge and educating informed, engaged citizens. Founded in 1754 as King’s College, Columbia is the fifth oldest institution of higher learning in the United States.

About Columbia University School of General Studies

The Columbia University School of General Studies (GS), founded in 1947, is the premier liberal arts college in the United States for nontraditional undergraduate students seeking a rigorous, traditional Ivy League education, including those who have served in the U.S. and foreign militaries. Currently, more than 400 veterans are enrolled at the School. GS students take the same courses, study with the same faculty, and earn the same degree as all other undergraduates at Columbia University.