“Stepping Out” for Military Service: Challenges Experienced by Students Serving in the Reserves or National Guard

Abstract

Our qualitative study explores the experiences of engineering students serving in the Reserves or National Guard (RANG) to identify the unique challenges they face when trying to fulfill their contemporaneous educational and military commitments. To expand literature on military-connect students and veterans studies, we draw from the literature on stop-out students and use a framework of precarity to understand their college experience. Our analysis of interviews of 15 RANG engineering students revealed that these students faced both financial and academic precarity. These students experienced uncertainty about their financial aid and felt academically vulnerable when registering for classes and falling behind in their college studies, particularly in a discipline such as engineering which often has rigid prerequisites. When seeking assistance on campus, respondents said they encountered conflicting policies. We introduce a term, “stepping out,” to reflect RANG students’ needs and experiences and the unique reasons for their discontinuous enrollment patterns. Research findings have implications for university staff desiring to better address RANG students’ needs, including student veterans centers. Centers that serve the interests of military-connected students can pave the way forward in campus efforts to ensure that RANG students who aspire to serve their country can do so while earning their college degree. Financial aid offices can strive to streamline information about educational benefits available to RANG students. Advisors and faculty will benefit from the nuanced information regarding RANG experiences and the importance of addressing their unique needs.