Wesleyan University in Connecticut will be welcoming its first group of military veteran scholars, The Middletown Press reported.

In collaboration with the Posse Foundation, the Middletown-based private liberal arts college is launching the Veterans Posse Program, an initiative that identifies U.S. veterans who are interested in pursuing bachelor's degrees, and places them at top tier colleges and universities where they receive four-year scholarships.

The Posse Foundation helps colleges and universities "recruit high school students otherwise overlooked by the traditional college selection process," according to The Middletown Press.

A group of 10 veterans will be coming to the campus this fall.

"I am tremendously excited about our partnership with the Posse Foundation to bring a cohort of veterans to campus each year," said Wesleyan President Michael Roth. "We believe this group of undergraduates will add greatly to our diverse, dynamic campus, and that they will thrive in a community that values boldness, rigor and practical idealism."

Wesleyan first approached Posse Foundation last winter about partnering on the veterans initiative. The school has made an effort for the past several years to recruit veterans.

"We have learned that it is a real challenge to 'go it alone' as a single institution," Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Nancy Hargrave Meislahn said in a statement. "We are interested in enrolling more veterans than the one or two we have been enrolling annually, and think that joining forces with Posse is the best way to do this. Our experience with the veterans who have enrolled- supported by our Military Veterans Endowed Scholarship Fund since fall 2008 -- has reinforced the vision that veterans will add significantly to diversity at Wesleyan. Veterans bring a different perspective and a set of life experience that enhance the learning community for all."

Deborah Bial, president and founder of The Posse Foundation, said the initiative seeks to recruit veterans "who we think have tremendous leadership potential to go out into the workforce and become major contributors" in whatever field they pursue.

Bial said veterans bring new and valuable perspective to college campuses. While typical college freshmen are 18 years old and straight out of high school, the average veteran entering college is in his/her late 20s or early 30s, and has spent time in Afghanistan and Iraq.

"These are men and women who really know that they want to go to college now. They've had a life experience that's often been intense. They've had incredible training from the military. They really get how to support each other -- that's just in their DNA now -- which is what Posse is all about," she said.