The study's purpose is twofold and examines (a) major challenges veterans may encounter while enrolled in higher education, and (b) veterans' perceptions of utilizing higher education as a transitional tool to the civilian workforce. A qualitative design was employed in this study. Data were collected utilizing three focus groups (N = 11). The…

Faculty, administration, and student veterans at a small midwestern community college collaborated to develop a Veterans Resource Center, a physical space in which veterans can congregate to build camaraderie and find resources specific to their needs as veterans. A needs analysis was first conducted to prioritize the needs of the student veteran…

Since 2002, nearly one million veterans have pursued higher education upon completion of their military service; however, the military-to-academic transition has been fraught with challenges. Despite concrete efforts by an increasing number of colleges and universities to help veterans make the transition, one recurring theme persists--many…

In the current U.S. military operational environment, it has been estimated that up to 700,000 troop years (cumulative years of service including multiple tours of duty) have been logged over the past decade since offensive campaigns began, following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks (Smith, Benight, & Cieslak, 2013). With this influx…

With the conclusion of major military engagements in Iraq and Afghanistan, U.S. institutions of higher learning are experiencing an inflow of student veterans on a scale not seen since the conclusion of World War II. In response, a large number of American colleges and universities quickly sought to exploit this glut of new students by arbitrarily…

One of the fastest-growing subpopulations of nontraditional college students is military veterans who enroll in institutions of higher education following their returns from deployment. Although much research has been conducted on veteran-students, much of that work has focused on issues such as veterans' finances or academic achievement, rather…

An increasing number of veterans and military students are seeking to complete degrees online and through enrollment at campuses across the nation. Their increased numbers present some unique challenges and opportunities. Post 9/11, Chapter 33 GI Bill funding is enticing more institutions to look at the veteran and military population as a…

Students attending college on the GI Bill received mostly respectful, positive treatment in popular films and novels. Veterans typically exemplified successful students. However, mysteries and some novels sometimes portrayed veterans as academic misfits. (SK)