Abstract
This study sought to describe the correlation of academic, financial, and social supports to the persistence of a military student population: veterans, active duty, and their families. The study also contrasted these relationships with non-military students and looked at the results of the overall group to persistence. Results confirmed the emphasis in the persistence literature on the importance of academic support mechanisms and noted its positive relationship to the military student population. Financial supports varied for the military student population, nonmilitary population, and the overall group with the military student population negatively impacted by loans, nonmilitary by university scholarships, and the overall group by government grants and aid. As an additional finding for this study, institutional support emerged as a key support mechanism. This study recommends enhancing academic and institutional support for the military student population to reinforce their persistence.
Highlights
Education support for active-duty personnel, veterans and their families deeply shapes the American university (Burnett & Segoria, 2009; Dougherty & Woodland, 2009)
Our results showed that of the three, only academic support provided a significant contribution to the military student population’s intent to persist, and even it only provided 18% of the variance
A glance at Table 1 provides a quick snapshot of research Question 4: Table 1 Multiple Regression Model Predicting the Intent to Persist Based on the Combination of Support
Summary
Education support for active-duty personnel, veterans and their families deeply shapes the American university (Burnett & Segoria, 2009; Dougherty & Woodland, 2009). Departments solely dedicated to the needs of this population, often labeled military affairs programs are commonplace (Cook & Kim, 2009). These departments interface with the financial benefits provided to the university and often define their primary mission as support for social and academic needs (McCready, 2010). The purpose of this study is to measure the financial, social and academic supports provided to military personnel, veterans and their families and determine the correlation of these elements to student persistence. This study will compare this population to a nonmilitary population and apply these findings to current practices, suggest new directions for teaching practice and note implications for higher education policy
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
