Abstract:
Since the passing of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act, more
than 817,000 service members have participated in higher education. In this time, little
research has been done to study student veterans as a unique college population; and to
gauge whether the current best practices to support these students are impactful and
effective. The purpose of this study is to further the scholarship on student veterans by
investigating the transition into higher education and the factors that influence their
engagement with academia. Both survey and interview data were collected to inform this
research. 45 survey responses and 4 interview conversations were recorded during the
data collection phase of the research plan. Three themes that influence student veteran
transition and engagement in higher education emerged from the data collected: (1)
Veteran Camaraderie, (2) Nontraditional Student Status, and (3) Campus Culture. The
findings of this research give insight into the relationship that student veterans have with
entering and persisting in higher education, that differs from their non-military affiliated
peers. In addition to this, findings and conclusions from this research may help to
enhance veteran specific services in higher education.
