Improving Integration and Academic Success in Veterans Attending College

Providence Va Medical Center, Providence RI

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

Recent military operations in Iraq (Operation Iraqi Freedom; OIF; Operation New Dawn; OND) and Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom; OEF) represent the most sustained ground combat operations since the Vietnam era. The Post-9/11 GI bill provides time-limited financial support for veterans to pursue higher education, a key to financial and vocational success. Since 2008, over 800,000 returning Operations Enduring Freedom (OEF), Iraqi Freedom (OIF), and Operation New Dawn (OND) (OIF/OEF/OND) Veterans have used these benefits, costing the Veterans Affairs Department over $19 billion. However, student veterans may face unique challenges in the school environment, leading to lower retention rates than for traditional students. Therefore, the goal of this project is to adapt and refine the Transitional Resiliency Course (TRC), designed to educate, advise, and guide student veterans towards a successful college career. To accomplish this, we will collect qualitative data on student veterans on design and implementation procedures of TRC. This will be accomplished by focus groups (n = 20) with student veterans and by forming an advisory board (AB) of university and community stake-holders. The TRC will then be piloted with student veterans (n=10), refined and adapted, and them implemented in a preliminary trial in which we will recruit both student veterans who participate in the TRC (n=25) or do not choose to participate in the TRC (non-TRC; n=25). This trial will permit the examination of the feasibility and acceptability of the TRC. Furthermore, assessing a wide range of areas of functioning during 4- and 8 month follow-up assessments will provide preliminary evidence of the TRC's impact on retention, integration and academic success. Exploratory analyses will examine correlates of integration, retention, and academic success in both TRC and non-TRC student veterans (e.g., substance use, psychological disorders, social or family distress, class attendance). Findings from this study will have wide- ranging implications for the retention, integration, and academic success of OEF/OIF/OND student veterans, ultimately for providing them with a higher quality of life.