This dissertation study uses Schlossberg's Transition Theory to understand the experiences of student veterans enrolled at a Louisiana higher education institution. By recognizing the distinct needs of student veterans and the services offered, higher education administrators can play a pivotal role in informing them of their needs and creating a…

As student veterans and service members (SVSM) continue to pursue post-secondary education, the body of literature contains multiple studies of transition and acculturation, but little empirical assessment of programs and services to support SVSM and address factors of student success, including academic achievement, engagement in educationally…

This qualitative study was designed to add to educators' understanding of veteran student success and offer ways to reframe how they measure veteran student success. Currently, university leaders tend to measure veteran student success using traditional metrics such as retention and graduation rates. This study involved examining whether there are…

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…

Student veterans' (SV) transition into academic life is challenging, and faculty/staff are uniquely positioned to support this change. Research calls for academic faculty/staff training to support SVs and aid in their retention and academic success. Framed by Rhetorical and Relational Goal Theory (RRGT; Mottet et al., 2006), qualitative data…

Over the years, the Servicemen's Readjustment Act (1944) and subsequent funding legislation has enabled vast numbers of American military service members and veterans to attend colleges and universities (Osborne, 2014). For institutions that experienced declines in traditional age students due to changing demographics, Post 9/11 veterans are an…

The purpose of this study was to describe the essence of the acculturation experiences of post-9/11 student veterans as they navigated within the dominant higher education culture of civilian postsecondary educational institutions (PEIs). Specifically, this study aimed to conceptualize the acculturation experiences of post-9/11 student veterans by…

Numerous stereotypes of the veteran population miss the diverse backgrounds of veterans as a group, particularly that one quarter of known veterans are living in rural communities across the United States (VA, 2022). Despite the Federal focus on veteran rural health, there needs to be more literature available on veteran success in community…

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…

This scoping review focuses on student veterans' transition and reintegration into education and presents key themes in international student veteran research. Grounded in a literature search in ERIC, Scopus, and Web of Science, our scoping review includes 137 articles across research disciplines. It covers publications from the last 15 years,…

Student veterans face a multitude of transitions throughout their life, with the initial transition into the military as a civilian, the possibility of multiple transitions throughout their enlistment, and the transition from military service to readjusting to life as a civilian following discharge. As veterans reintegrate into society, some…

The purpose of this case study was to gain a deeper understanding of the factors that support combat student veterans in a private institution of higher education. The theory guiding this study was Astin's developmental theory of student involvement for higher education. The conceptual framework guiding the study was Vacchi's model of student…

In this qualitative research, ten student veterans studied the sense of belonging among non-traditional undergraduate student veterans at a private, liberal arts four-year university in New Jersey. These participants, representing various armed services branches, provided valuable insights into the challenges of transitioning from military to…

Non-traditional students disproportionately enroll in institutions with weaker graduation and earnings outcomes. One hypothesis is that these students would have made different choices had they been provided with better information or supports during the decision-making process. We conducted a large-scale, multi-arm field experiment with the U.S.…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how women veterans view the role of resilience in their ability to overcome barriers while earning a bachelor's degree at a four-year higher education institution. The theoretical foundation included Resilience Theory and the second model was Bean and Metzner's nontraditional…