Veterans on college campuses are not new; however, the recent influx of veterans returning home from war-time service present challenges to the colleges they attend. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the transition process experienced by veterans leaving military service and attending community college for the first time. This study sought to understand the process veterans experience as they leave overseas deployment in support of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and negotiate the various changes such a transition entails. Using Schlossberg's (1984) Theory of Adult Transitions as the guiding framework, three themes emerged regarding how veterans manage this transition: academic experiences, personal relationships and connections, and benefit bureaucracy. These findings could be used to help community colleges better serve this special population.

College campuses are accustomed to serving various populations and typically offer professional development for faculty and staff to assist those students. However, most institutions do not offer specific professional training targeted toward serving military-connected students-those students who have previously served in the US military, are currently serving, or those who are using benefits from a parent or spouse. This population is very different from the others on campus, and campuses need to do more to assist them reach their academic goals. The Supporting Transitioning and Returning Service Members (STARS) Project provides a research-based, timely, and sustainable professional development program that is fully transferable and applicable to all institutions of higher education. Practical Takeaways• Military-connected students are a diverse group of students on campus who have very different needs than their peers; it is incumbent upon colleges and universities to assist them with the transition experiences and provide them the support they need to be successful. • Most institutions of higher education do not offer specific training regarding how to best support military-connected students; those that do often adapt an existing training without fully addressing the needs of this special group.