Congress determined that because military service in Iraq and Afghanistan following September 11, 2001, was particularly challenging, servicemembers from that era deserved a veterans educational assistance program more robust than those otherwise available at the time. The Post-9/11 GI Bill was designed to provide more generous benefits than the…

The Post 9/11 GI Bill (PGIB) is among the largest and most generous college subsidies enacted thus far in the U.S. We examine the impact of the PGIB on veterans' college-going, degree completion, federal education tax benefit utilization, and long run earnings. Among veterans potentially induced to enroll, the introduction of the PGIB raised…

This study analyzed how pre-college advising and transition experiences impact the postsecondary success of military-connected students (MCS). Each year, approximately 200,000 military veterans make the transition to civilian life, with around 40% seeking higher education. Despite the financial support of the Post-9/11 GI Bill, MCS face unique…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how female veterans who have successfully graduated from a higher education institution describe the challenges encountered and the factors which helped them complete their college degrees across the United States. For this study, the theoretical framework was Schlossberg's adult…

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…

The purpose of this study was to explore and hear the student military veterans' perceptions on what they felt was instrumental to their success in higher education. Previous studies investigated veterans' experiences but very little investigated what SMVs found helpful during their collegiate experience. This mixed methods research employed a…

Using data from four waves of the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS) in 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016, this study examines the effect of the PGIB on veterans' student loans. Results indicate that the PGIB has significantly affected veteran students' borrowing behavior, with an average $1,100 reduction in Stafford Loans. Veteran students…

Since the events of 9/11, the United States has experienced a resurgence of patriotism. Society actively applauds the service and sacrifice made by veterans and active military personnel. The Post-9/11 GI Bill allows members of U.S. armed forces, both past and present, to continue their education at colleges and universities across the country.…

This dissertation explores the reintegration of military Veterans into the civilian population and factors that influence their return through higher education after the 2008 changes to the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill. Student Veterans bring to campus nontraditional student characteristics plus Veteran culture that include unique strengths and challenges…

The purported "Golden Age" of American higher education, typically associated with the two decades following World War II, was marked by increasingly generous federal support of the nation's postsecondary institutions and their students. Unlike analyses that attribute this largesse to factors like geopolitics (i.e., a response to the…

Since the Post-9/11 GI Bill went into effect in 2009, there has been tremendous growth in the number of military-connected students enrolling in U.S. colleges and universities. In response to this influx, higher education stakeholders developed dedicated resources and services to remove barriers students often faced when transitioning from the…

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), previously named the Veterans Administration, has been providing veterans educational assistance benefits, including GI Bill benefits, since 1944. In general, the benefits provide grant aid to eligible individuals enrolled in approved educational and training programs. The newest GI Bill was enacted on…

This study aimed to explore the factors that motivate and empower military spouses to persist in pursuing degrees in higher education. The following research question guided this study. What do military spouses perceive as the factors that motivate and empower them to persist in earning college degrees? Fifteen military spouses participated in…

There was a lot of talk about both the fate of American democracy and American higher education in 2021, but not much consideration about how the two were deeply intertwined. The 1947 report "Higher Education for American Democracy" showed awareness of how race, sex, class, and religious discrimination thwarted the talents and ambitions…

Beginning August 1, 2009, the Post-9/11 GI Bill extended educational benefits to service members who were on active duty in the military on or after September 11, 2001. This GI Bill (officially the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008), the latest version of a law that helps veterans pay for higher education, provides more…