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The higher education landscape for US student service members and veterans in Indiana

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Abstract

The Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 or “New GI Bill” has resulted in rising enrollment and related demand for services by students in the USA. We examined current supports for student service members and veterans at institutions of higher education in Indiana in the context of this national trend. We employed prospective student service members who contacted campuses to ask staff and administrators about admissions, financial aid, academic, and student services policies and programs. Results showed that most institutions had the ability to refer to disability services, award credit for military training, and waive reapplication requirements following deployment. Few institutions reported support to military families or availability of student veterans’ organizations. Institution type and size, degrees offered, and the presence of graduate programs were related to availability of programs and services. Considerable variability across campuses suggested opportunities to refine, coordinate, and expand assistance to student service members and veterans.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by strengthening supports for military families in Indiana and beyond, Grant #2007 1325-000 from Lilly Endowment (Principal investigator: Shelley MacDermid Wadsworth). We are grateful to the campus representatives who responded to our questions and to the staff and students at MFRI who helped to gather, record, and code the data.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Military Family Research Institute at Purdue University, Hanley Hall, Room 210, 1202 West State Street, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA

    Stacie Hitt, Martina Sternberg, Shelley MacDermid Wadsworth, Joyce Vaughan, Rhiannon Carlson, Elizabeth Dansie & Martina Mohrbacher

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  1. Stacie Hitt
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  2. Martina Sternberg
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  3. Shelley MacDermid Wadsworth
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  4. Joyce Vaughan
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Correspondence to Martina Sternberg.

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Hitt, S., Sternberg, M., Wadsworth, S.M. et al. The higher education landscape for US student service members and veterans in Indiana. High Educ 70, 535–550 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-014-9854-6

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