Date of Conferral

2022

Degree

Doctor of Public Administration (D.P.A)

School

Public Policy and Administration

Advisor

Karel A. Kurst-Swanger

Abstract

The American GI Forum (AGIF) contains several programs and initiatives, with thesignificant focus being on supporting students. There is a need to better understand their needs as students so that the organization can better serve them. This study focused on the issues facing veteran students in higher education and the strategies that AGIF can adopt to better improve veteran students’ experiences while in university. The primary theory that guided this study was the appreciative education framework because it offered the theoretical infrastructure for educational practice by advocating for an adaptable, transformational, and interactive framework and was applicable to guiding organizational efforts and individual interactions. Convenience sampling was used to recruit 25 veteran students as participants who had served in the military and were currently enrolled in a higher education program. The participants were interviewed and content analysis of their responses was used to capture their opinions and attitudes about the issues they face while in higher learning institutions. The findings indicated that some of the common challenges faced by veteran students in higher education system include posttraumatic stress disorder, financial issues or distress, gaps in higher education system, and lack of peer support and engagement. Based on these findings, it was recommended that the higher education system ensure the implementation of adequate programs and policies to support veteran students because they face multiple challenges while transitioning from military to civilian life. Through looking out all the given challenges, it explains the need for the administration to set the focus on the ways that they can prevent the occurrence of such challenges through the implementation of the adequate programs that can fully support the veterans.

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