ERIC Number: ED669103
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2021
Pages: 158
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 979-8-5355-4294-2
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Military Veterans' Perceptions of Barriers to College Completion Using the G.I. Bill
Richard S. Baskas
ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Walden University
Most military veterans who reside in a central U.S. city have not entirely used their Montgomery G.I. Bill (MGIB) education benefits to advance their careers. But there is limited research on veterans' views of the effect of certain barriers on academic persistence. This study addressed this lack of information on barriers preventing military veterans from fully using the benefits of the MGIB. Clark and Caffarella's transition theory was used in this case study to explore the perceptions of eight military veterans on reason they dropped out of college or never used the MGIB to attend college. The research questions focused on military veterans' views of strengths and weaknesses of the G.I. Bill while they were in active duty at the time they made the decision to use it as well as how the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs processed their eligibility. Thematic analysis findings from the data collected with face-to-face, semi-structured interviews revealed five themes that described military veterans' views of the barriers they faced during their duty from their supervisors: perceptions of the MGIB during active duty, applying for college, having a family prevented the use of the benefits, expired MGIB benefits, and having a job that prevented the use of the MGIB. The resulting project consisted of a white paper that proposed recommendations of how military veterans could successfully improve their academic progress toward earning a college degree. The project contributes to positive social change by informing future military recruits, active-duty military personnel, military veterans, and military veteran organizations of potential strategies to help military veterans effectively use the MGIB benefits to earn a college degree. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
Descriptors: Veterans Education, Student Attitudes, Barriers, Academic Persistence, Access to Education, Higher Education, Federal Legislation
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Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: Adult Education; Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Laws, Policies, & Programs: G I Bill
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A