Expanding Educational Access and Equity

Your support this Columbia Giving Day enables the School of General Studies to continue offering nontraditional students an exceptional and transformative educational experience.

Opening Doors, Transforming Lives

Nontraditional Education

The Columbia University School of General Studies (GS) has been at the forefront of innovation, responding to societal change and providing an essential testing ground for the adoption of new modalities across higher education. Today, more than ever, the world is in need of continued excellence in serving nontraditional students. Your support will ensure our ability to continue providing the preeminent educational experience designed specifically for these students—and in turn, strengthen the message of our mission nationally and around the world.

Expanding Educational Equity

GS is about educational equity, making it central to Columbia's commitment to creating a just society. Our students—many of whom seek out GS after experiencing difficult circumstances that may have prevented them from excelling academically in the past—bring a steely determination to realizing the life-changing opportunities that a Columbia education offers. This experience, however, comes with a cost that students are too often unable to meet. Your gift will make possible an education that would otherwise be inaccessible to students with countless inspiring stories and backgrounds.

Societal Transformation

The culture of innovation that led to the creation of GS is integral to our continued development. The School's leadership in responding to society's educational needs resulted in the nation's first Postbac Premed Program and the admission of a more diverse student body. More recent innovations include the launch of four International Dual Degree Programs, offering an education that spans two continents. Your gift will help GS continue to create and support innovative programs that cross disciplines and push the boundaries of how society thinks about elite education.