In response to the significant increase of student veterans, due in part to the enactment of the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill, Perksy and Oliver explored three research questions: what do veterans perceive their needs to be at the community college? What programs and services are currently in place at the community college to address the needs of veterans? What recommendations can be made for improving the veterans' community college experience? The study used a mixed methods design to approach different aspects of the research. Responses to qualitative research questions identified a number of emerging needs for student veterans including a formalized process of accepting experiential credit (life and military) toward their degree completion and programs specifically targeting student veterans. Quantitative research questions provide insight into the lack of organization within the state-wide approach to development of veteran services within community colleges.

The lack of formalized process for assessing and awarding credits is a nationwide issue affecting veteran students in all of higher education, not just at community college. If there was a credentialed database which could be accessed by university registrar with information and equivalencies, it would go a long way to alleviating this issue. The lack of uniformity of veteran services within a state is not a unique problem. Each state contains inconsistencies that could be addressed through development of professional listservs focused on veteran services, crowd-sourcing best practices for veteran students, and intentionality to create standardization based on criteria set forth by state higher education governance.

Whiteman, Barry, Mroczek, and MacDermid developed a longitudinal study to investigate and better understand the differences in social supports for veteran students in comparison to non-veteran students in higher education. The study examined the development of emotional supports amongst peers over the course of three semesters, which allowed for tracking and comparing changes between the two group. Findings from the study of 199 veterans and 181 civilians included veteran students receiving less peer emotional support than their civilian counterparts; correlational evidence that higher levels of emotional support affect GPA and graduation levels; counseling centers at most schools are ill-equipped to meet the transitional issues of student veterans; and student veterans are less likely to seek counseling services than their peers.

The findings of this study should be valuable in sparking discussions around how college campuses can be prepared to provide cost-effective: opportunities for veterans students to engage in peer events, functions, or courses; designated space for veteran students (non-traditional) to informally interact; and counseling services more applicable to this group. Student veterans are non-traditional students who tend to have responsibilities in addition to attending school. The surveys in this study were distributed via email to all the participants, which allowed them to all complete the surveys on their own time when available. Online surveys could be developed to gain feedback on student veteran availability and desire to interact.

Ostovary and Dapprich present information on disabled military service members who are transitioning to civilian life. They provide foundational information on the experience of veterans serving in the Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and their attempt to successfully reintegrate into civilian life as context for the uniformed reader. The authors also provide an overview of the types of common disabilities for veterans of these conflicts and then describe veterans' experiences in workplaces and institutions of higher education. Medical technology has increased the survival rate of injured OIF/OEF veterans. This article focuses on complex and potentially hidden disabilities which therefore might create areas of concern in higher education and workplace environments. It highlights the American with Disabilities Act Amendments Acts (ADAAA), which ensures workplaces and institutions of higher learning provide appropriate accommodations. The large, distributed influx of veteran students has created the perfect storm of a problem for higher education. There is limited research available which contains information about how to best provide education and services to individuals with post traumatic stress disorders (PTSD) or traumatic brain injuries (TBI). The focus on higher education has been on the traditional 18-24 year olds. What type of technology (if any) is acceptable for PTSD sufferers to use? Should use of technology be limited for those who have sustained a brain injury? There is a definite need for additional research.

This article provides information about veterans transitioning into college. This multi-campus study provides student-veteran representation from across the country. 25 student veterans were interviewed to gather more information about unique needs and services that they might require. A grounded theory epistemology was used to generate a conceptual framework for understanding students who are making the transition from wartime service to college. A suggested outcome of this study was the need for colleges to develop holistic service/support programs for this population. Accomplishment of this approach has become significantly more efficient due to upgrades in student information systems, which can allow departments to talk to each other and share pertinent information about common students.

In 2008, Senator Jim Webb proposed the "21st Century G.I. Bill" which later became the foundation for the current Post 9/11 G.I. Bill. Senator Webb noticed that a significant number of veterans were using their benefits at for-profit institutions and wanted to develop a new benefit that would provide equal access to higher quality education. This article addresses the issue of cost of higher education, for-profit education, online education, and the necessity of convenience for military and adult learners. This article highlights cost and convenience as two of the largest hurdles for veteran/military students, but doesn't address ramification of catering to those concerns. For example, for-profit online colleges quickly recognized Post 9/11 G.I. Bill users as a valuable target audience because of the guaranteed money and the schools ability to charge a set tuition price. This new G.I. Bill increased the annual allowable cost of tuition and fees, thus providing colleges with a set potential revenue per student. The convenience appeal of for profit schools never changed, the interest in these schools grew after the establishment of the Post 9/11 G.I. Bill was passed because recipients would receive an additional allowance for attending college, and online schooling was the most convenient with little (if any) admission qualifications.

This is a qualitative needs assessment for veterans suffering from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) who desire to attend post secondary education. This study focused specifically on veterans from Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation New Dawn (OND). Veterans from these conflicts are younger (relatively speaking), but still considered adult learners. The purpose of this study was conducting focus groups to gain a better understanding of the potential educational supports for veterans specifically with PTSD but more generally those with any type of disability. Veterans health care and mental health care are provided by the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Veterans who are diagnosed with PTSD are offered various forms of counseling to treat their symptoms, but there is a noticeable disconnect between VHA mental health care providers and disability services counselors at colleges and universities charged with providing accommodations for students with learning disabilities. There are various forms of adaptive technology available to enhance learning and performance in higher education.

This chapter discusses the historical growth of higher education in Europe from World War II (WWII) to the present. The author believes that WWII was a watershed moment for higher education (social and economic reform). The period directly following WWII was filled with unprecedented growth and expansion of higher education. Cooperman believes the current expansion of access to education, through technology, should be similar to the post-WWII growth of higher education. Cooperman poses three necessary forms of higher education: elite/ruling class; masses/vocational technical training; and universal/social technological education. Each of these forms serve a unique and necessary function in the provision of higher education to the largest audience. In the current day, within all of these forms, there is the need to discuss and address how technology can effectively be implemented. Implementation of technology within each of these forms will take time to transition curriculum, change expectations, and obtain results.

This article addresses the current culture and circumstances of veterans and military students who are using educational benefits to attend college. The use of federal educational benefits (tuition assistance for active duty, and G.I. Bill for veterans) carries benefits and challenges that are unique to this population of students. This population of students require more flexibility and access than traditional college students due to: military culture of training, deployment cycles, natural disaster relief responders, and being adult learners. A significant and increasing number of veteran and military members are choosing to attend online colleges (mostly for-profit institutions) for degree attainment. Many schools are developing programs developed specifically to enroll veteran and military students, this article provides the example what Western Carolina State University has done to develop programming to support and encourage veteran and military students to attend their campus.

This article specifically addresses the Universal Design (UD), which is a framework for curriculum development. In the most recent conflict many military members are coming home with disabilities from extreme injuries and/or extreme exposure to combat related events. Due to advances in medicine, many individuals have survived that likely wouldn't have in previous conflicts. Medical advances have saved lives and produced higher quality of lives for traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post traumatic stress survivors (PTSD). In turn, this has created the need to improve services and supports offered at post-secondary institutions in order to increase usability and access for veterans and others with learning disabilities. Universal Design theory contains three basic principles, the first is that "multiple means of representation" must be included. This includes, but is not limited to, incorporating the use of technology within the classroom or coursework.

This article is reporting out what North Carolina State University (NCSU) has already done in the process of developing curriculum specifically geared to improve success in the classroom for veteran students. It will be interesting to continue to follow the progress of NCSU and their veteran student population.