Theses and Dissertations

Date of Award

12-1-2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Curriculum & Instruction

First Advisor

Joseph Corbeil

Second Advisor

Maria Elena Corbeil

Third Advisor

Ming-Tsan Lu

Abstract

Veterans are pursuing higher education at increasing rates due to the benefits available upon separation or retirement from military service. Many choose online programs for flexibility, while others prefer traditional, in-person instruction. Regardless of modality, student veterans often face significant challenges completing their degrees. “When student veterans first enter college, they must transition to the overwhelming, independent, and fast-paced lifestyle of a college student” (Semer & Harmening, 2015). While online learning may contribute to these difficulties, other factors also hinder success.

Colleges and universities continue to explore why student veterans struggle to complete their programs, yet underlying issues may distort graduation data. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, “the completion rate for these veterans of 51.7% is lower than the four-year graduation rate for younger, non-veteran peers, which was 59% in 2011” (Radford, Bentz, Dekker, & Paslov, 2016). The Student Veterans of America and Veterans Administration report slightly higher figures: “Of the 822,327 records in the NVEST subset with enrollment records, 440,441 post-secondary completion records were found for a post-secondary completion rate of 53.6 percent” (Cate et al., 2017). However, these numbers may be skewed because many veterans begin at community colleges and transfer before degree completion, making institutional reporting inconsistent.

Military service can also contribute to learning barriers. According to Radford et al., “military veterans have higher instances of hearing disabilities, cognitive disabilities, ambulatory disabilities, and combined disabilities when compared to their civilian counterparts” (2016). Similarly, “veterans were more likely than nonveterans to report having one or more disabilities” (Milan, 2018). These conditions may affect concentration, memory, and academic performance. Institutional selection further influences outcomes. “Only one in ten veterans using GI Bill benefits enrolls in institutions with graduation rates above 70 percent, while approximately one in three veterans using the GI Bill benefits attend a for-profit institution” (Hill, Kurzweil, Davidson, & Schwartz, 2019). Understanding the complex interplay between educational modality, institutional type, and personal barriers is essential. The purpose of this study is to determine whether online or face-to-face instruction better supports student veterans and how colleges and universities can create environments that enhance their academic success.

Comments

Copyright 2025 Jason R. Wakefield. All Rights Reserved. https://proquest.com/docview/3297942146

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