Date of Award

6-16-2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Educational Leadership

First Advisor

Karen Kuralt

Abstract

Higher education has, in the past, paved the road to success for many Americans. Since it currently seems to be the consensus in American society, in general, that a college degree is needed to secure a good job, which leads to a good income in order to provide for oneself and one’s family, college is the road most Americans choose in order to achieve these goals. Since World War II (WWII), veterans have increasingly sought college degrees post-service to bring them in line with their civilian counterparts: they obtained experience in the military, now the degree gives veterans the opportunity to obtain that all-important key to a good career, the college diploma. By the time the original G.I. Bill ended in 1956, 7.8 million veterans had used the education portion of the G.I. Bill enacted in 1944 (Education and training: History and timeline, 2017). Veterans receiving the G.I. Bill enter college later than traditional college students due to having spent at least four years in active military service. National Guard and Reserve members may also enter college later than traditional college students due to training. Due to the changes in the G.I. Bill at the outset of the Global War on Terror (GWOT), National Guard and Reserve troops were allowed to receive versions of the G.I. Bill, allowing them to attend college while serving part-time in the military. Repeated studies have published the success rates of these student veterans in an effort to show if the money, given to the veteran by the federal government, is being squandered or is a good investment in America’s future. As of 2015, student veterans had a 54% completion rate compared to an overall national average of 53%: veterans also enjoy a 15 % higher success rate than non-veteran adult learners at 39% (Factsheets: Veterans in Higher Education, 2021), although no statistic could be located as to what portion of that 54% has at any time used the G.I. Bill. Little research has been conducted to determine how military service affects veterans’ learning abilities, or how it changes them, or if it even does.

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