Since the creation of the GI Bill, military veterans have had a significant effect on higher education. As U.S.-lead conflicts OIF and OEF conclude and more veterans separate from service, institutions of higher education are seeing increased numbers of service members utilizing education benefits and enrolling in college. Veterans who transition…

Objective: To examine how veterans resource centers (VRCs) and corresponding services influence student veteran transitions by applying the Schlossberg Transition Model. Participants: 12 student support staff and 6 junior/senior undergraduate student veterans at a four-year public university in California. Methods: In-depth semi-structured,…

Every year 115,000 veterans transition out of the military and enter an institution of higher education as student veterans. These student veterans enter academia with specific challenges to success that traditional non-veteran students do not experience. The problem addressed by this study was the underutilization and lack of transition services…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine how the military and veteran services offices in public institutions are supporting student veterans in their higher education journey. This study was aimed to allow Chief Military and Veteran Services Officers (CMVSO) in 4-year public institutions to identify challenges and opportunities in…

The purpose of this explanatory case study was to learn how a designated veteran services office on a university campus supports student veterans preparing to transition into the civilian workforce after their college graduation. This study provided an in-depth understanding of the operations of a nationally recognized veteran services office by…

Military veterans are an immediately emerging populace of non-traditional students in the United States. In August 2009 the new Post-9/11 G.I. Bill became effective and has made it accessible for veterans to subsidize their higher education costs upon departing from the military. Customary four-year universities and colleges are appropriately…

This phenomenological qualitative study employed Photovoice to investigate the experiences of college student service members and veterans (SSM/V) in relation to the transition from the military to higher education. Twelve participants took three photographs per day for seven days that reflected their everyday experiences as SSM/V. Individual…

Differences in contextual norms between the U.S. military and institutions of higher education mean that student veterans may experience difficulty integrating into the wider campus community, leading to educational inequity. However, this situation may be mitigated by the presence of a strong student veteran peer community. Previous studies of…

It is estimated that in the next decade, over two million veterans and dependents will utilize the Post-9/11 GI Bill for postsecondary education. Most colleges already possess the resources that veterans need to successfully transition and persist, though this subpopulation of learners also require services that are tailored to their…

The Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) is dedicated to supporting student veterans and their families in pursuing their educational goals. Student veterans are growing in number not only in Nevada, but across the nation. This particular student population often faces unique challenges in assimilating back into civilian life. It is the goal…

In 2011, Washburn University of Topeka, Kansas was awarded a $19.6 million Round 1 TAACCCT grant through the Department of Labor to provide industry-relevant, hands-on training for high-demand, high-wage careers. The consortium, Technical Retraining to Achieve Credentials (TRAC-7), was led by Washburn University, and included seven Kansas…

Military students and their dependents arrive on college campuses with a diverse array of academic goals and support needs. A military friendly college understands that military students are transitioning from the professional military environment to the workforce, and academic work is part of that transition. A military friendly college is not…

Veterans enrolled in college face unique challenges compared with those of traditional students. Their experiences and perspectives, coupled with battling stereotypes and entering an unstructured college setting, contribute toward what can be a difficult transition. Student veteran organizations, veteran resource centers, veteran-specific…

Scholssberg's transition theory is used to frame qualitative analysis of narratives from veterans, administrators, and student affairs professionals, examining whether and how institutions can influence veterans' transitions to higher education. Findings suggest how institutional structures assist students in developing navigational…

The transition to college presents significant challenges to many returning veterans. These students are, in many ways, the most nontraditional of all nontraditional students. These soldier/scholars are set apart from their campus peers--by age, by life experience, by envelopment in the military culture, and all too often by a close-up view of…