Chapter 3 The United States Military Veteran: A Look at their College Experience and Equitable and Inclusionary Practices

Due to the country’s most recent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and the enactment of the Post 9/11 GI Bill, colleges and universities across the United States have experienced a remarkable increase in student veteran enrollment. As a result, many college campuses have been challenged with knowing how to effectively support veterans as they transition from military life to college life. Although there is notable good intention, this challenge can impact an institution’s ability to offer adequate support. Consequently, many student veterans remain at the margins of the college experience, often affected by their distinct circumstances and a campus that may not be fully prepared to support them. This is a matter of equity and inclusion at its core. Students who are not well understood are likely to be underrepresented and underserved. Therefore, veterans must be included in the equity and inclusion conversation. A review of the literature confirms that student veteran support must involve a greater understanding of the student veteran experience, address institutional barriers to access, replace deficit models of support with more equitable practices, and challenge the dominant paradigm of student success that overemphasizes students’ individual and group characteristics and overlooks the role educators play in student achievement.