Support of Veterans in STEM Degree Programs to Promote a Diverse and Skilled Workforce

AbstractMore Americans are needed in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) careers to advance the nation’s competitiveness in the global economy. Given the extensive training of military service members, this population is well-poised to transition into STEM careers. While many veterans pursue STEM degrees, they often face hardships that impact their ability to attain STEM credentials. The goal of this mixed methods study was to identify factors that contributed to attaining a STEM degree among students in the Military STEM Scholarship Program (MSSP), a grant-funded program implemented at a university in the United States to assist veterans pursuing STEM degrees. By targeting veterans, this program supported a highly diverse group of students. Based on surveys, focus groups, and interviews, the participants credited their academic and professional success to activities promoted by the MSSP program, such as peer interaction, faculty mentorship, utilization of student support services, and internships. As a result, 80% of MSSP participants obtained a STEM degree, approximately 24 percentage points higher than the institution’s average six-year graduation rate for all students. Through these findings, a model is offered for institutions to better serve a growing student veteran population.Keywords: Higher educationpostmilitary transitionSTEMstudent veterans Disclosure StatementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.Additional informationNotes on contributorsPhillip MorrisPhillip Morris is an Assistant Professor in the Leadership, Research, and Foundations Department. His research focuses on veteran and military student success, access to higher education, and advancing instructional outcomes.Kylie J. SwansonKylie J. Swanson is an Assistant Professor and Elementary Education Program Coordinator in the Department of Teaching and Learning in the College of Education at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. Her research interests focus on informal STEM education, Elementary and Middle school teacher STEM professional development, and pre-service Elementary teacher self-efficacy and confidence in teaching science.Kimberly MastropietroKimberly Mastropietro is a registered nurse with UCHealth. At the time of this research, she was a student veteran who was pursuing her degree in biology at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs.Lisa M. HinesLisa M. Hines is a Professor in the Department of Biology and Co-Director for the UCCSTeach Program at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. Her research interests focus on secondary and post-secondary STEM education and ethnic and racial disparities on cancer incidence and outcomes.