Supporting Student Veteran Transition to College and Academic Success

Abstract

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 orientations, and faculty training are relatively new approaches used by universities and have not been well-researched or reported. Educators need to be aware of the currently offered services and prepared to establish a safe environment for student veterans in their classrooms. By acknowledging student veterans and understanding how to support them in the classroom, education providers may be less concerned about the veteran stereotypes that persist today. This article provides adult educators with an overview of student veterans and their transition into college, offers suggestions to ease veterans’ adjustment to the classroom, and provides research opportunities for faculty to further advance higher education’s understanding of student veterans.

Invisible Disabilities, Stigma, and Student Veterans: Contextualizing the Transition to Higher Education

“…Despite the differences in numbers, the public tends to believe that higher numbers of veterans have PTSD (Kirchner, 2015). The perception that most military veterans have some form of a mental health issue is prevalent among the public, which in turn adds to the experiences of stereotyping and stigmatization of student veterans in the classroom (Kirchner, 2015).…”

“…As military veterans transition into civilian life, and into college, they undergo a significant role change. Adapting to civilian life is challenging for many student veterans, and the transition to college is often equally difficult (Durosko, 2017;Jones, 2017;Kirchner, 2015). The move from a highly structured lifestyle, to that of a civilian and student, brings with it numerous obstacles such as feeling out of place or isolated on campus (Campbell & Riggs, 2015;Durosko, 2017;Hitt et al, 2015;Kapell et al, 2017;Jones, 2017;Osborne, 2014).…”

“…The person experiences PTSD when the experience results in reexperiencing the trauma through recurring thoughts, dreams, and feelings; efforts to avoid the stimulus associated with the trauma such as feelings of detachment, a sense of shattered future, efforts to control thoughts, feelings, and activities associated with the trauma, and avoiding people, places, and activities that recall the trauma. (p. 144) PTSD is a highly stigmatized disability that often negatively affects student veterans (Kirchner, 2015;Rudstam et al, 2012). It is estimated that 14% of veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan display symptoms related to PTSD (Kirchner, 2015).…”

“…(p. 144) PTSD is a highly stigmatized disability that often negatively affects student veterans (Kirchner, 2015;Rudstam et al, 2012). It is estimated that 14% of veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan display symptoms related to PTSD (Kirchner, 2015). Other research puts veterans with PTSD at a much higher number, somewhere around 44% of returning veterans (Campbell & Riggs, 2015).…”

Pilot Programs for Veterans Transition to Engineering Fields

“…Various studies have been done focusing on phenomenological research related to the veteran student and their transition from military service to the academic environment in higher education (Jones, 2013). The studies focused on identity development related to the connecting complex experiences such as service member, then veteran, and forward to the student identity.…”