The Impact of Post-Secondary Interventions Aimed at Veteran Academic Success: An Urban Technical College Study in Middle America

Abstract

In 2021, the number of Post-9/11 Era veterans of the Armed Forces of the United States will reach 5.1 million. As veterans transitioned from military service and began using education benefits, they tended to experience difficulties entering and succeeding in the civilian educational environment. Their academic performance was adversely impacted by a host of combat and non-combat related veteran issues. Recognizing the challenges faced by manyformer service members, higher education institutions responded by providing comprehensive services to veteran students. This study examined the impact of interventions focused at assisting veterans in attaining educational objectives. The study centered on knowledge, likelihood of use, and overall satisfaction associated with specific interventions and sought to capture the veteran student experience. The performance of veteran students was compared to the general student population and other subgroups through analysis of course completion rates and retention rates. Results revealed that veteran students were largely aware of the interventions available at the institution but that there were gaps in the level of awareness. The study concluded that veteran students were most likely to utilize the resources that were the most visibly dedicated to providing services to veterans. Veterans also expressed a high level of satisfaction with the service provided by the institution and off-campus entities focused on supporting veterans. Recommendations for improvements focused on communication between the college and the veteran student and accessibility to veteran-focused interventions. Potential exists for additional studies regarding awareness of the campus veteran population and direct academic support.