CU Boulder program bridges academic and social gaps for incoming student veterans

With move-in and the start of the semester just days away, every incoming CU Boulder student is preparing to adjust to a new environment. Acclimating to academic and social life on campus can be difficult. This is especially true for student veterans, many of whom are starting their college education on the heels of active duty. 

For the seventh year in a row, CU Boulder Veteran and Military Affairs has helped those students make a successful transition to college life through the Bridge Program. The annual program focuses on preparing veterans for the CU Boulder classroom experience and creating a community for them to support each other throughout their academic journey. 

Veteran and Military Affairs recognizes that student veterans are a vital part of CU Boulder, and the training, work ethic and lived experiences that they bring to campus improve the entire university landscape. By focusing on their strengths and bridging any gaps, each Bridge Program participant’s success leads to greater success for future incoming veterans and campus as a whole. 

Improving veterans’ academic success 

Student veterans face unique challenges during their transition to college life, including gaps in academic preparation. Veterans typically take a break from education for at least four years before starting or returning to college. 

These challenges can be detrimental to student veterans’ academic performance. Veteran and Military Affairs created the Bridge Program in August 2017 to help student veterans address those gaps before starting their four-year college experience.  

About 40-50 students participate in the Bridge Program each August prior to their first fall semester, and another 20 join the program in January before the start of the spring semester. Each cohort of students spends two weeks refreshing their writing, research and math skills in an intensive and supportive academic environment.  

The program helps students prepare for CU Boulder classes specifically by using the learning technology that they will utilize in their classes and bringing in CU Boulder faculty to teach them. The program’s support has led to student veterans earning higher grade point averages. In their first semester and beyond, veterans who attended the Bridge Program have an average GPA of .25 to .3 higher than those who did not. 

Creating a supportive community 

Another challenge that some student veterans face is a lack of a social network. This can lead to feelings of isolation due to differences in age and life experience compared to other students on campus. The Bridge Program addresses this potential social gap in addition to the gap in academic preparedness. 

The program offers student veterans the opportunity to form friendships with others that have gone through similar experiences. Finding a community on campus does impact whether students return to college after their first year. For student veterans, this group support helps set them up for greater social and academic success. 

“Studies show that student persistence in college is influenced by a sense of belonging,” said Kristina Spaeth, the Veteran and Military Affairs academic integration program manager. “That sense of belonging can be enhanced through the Bridge Program and the connections that students form there, both with staff and faculty on campus and with other student veterans.” 

The proof of this is in the retention rates that Veteran and Military Affairs has regularly tracked. The department found that veterans who attended the Bridge Program are retained at approximately a 10% higher rate than those who did not.  

Plus, the veterans that have gone through the Bridge Program all have positive experiences. 100% of participants recommend the Bridge Program to future incoming veterans at CU Boulder.