Dissertation
Female veterans succeeding in higher education: a narrative study
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), Drexel University
Jun 2026
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/00011381
Abstract
Post 9/11 female military veterans constitute a growing population of non traditional students in higher education with an elevated level of bachelor's degree completion rates. Despite these outcomes, limited empirical research has examined the factors that contribute to their academic success. The purpose of this qualitative narrative inquiry was to investigate how post 9/11 female veterans describe the factors that supported their successful completion of four year college degree programs. Guided by four research questions, the study explored the extent to which participants attributed their success to military experiences, military and veteran educational benefits, and non military influences. Data were collected through semi structured interviews with eight post 9/11 female veterans from multiple branches of the United States military who had completed bachelor's degrees at accredited institutions. Data analysis followed an iterative qualitative process incorporating open coding, in vivo coding, descriptive coding, and pattern coding to identify salient themes across participant narratives. The findings revealed three primary themes: (a) military and veteran educational benefits such as the Post 9/11 GI Bill, tuition assistance, and transferable academic credits served as foundational structural supports for degree completion; (b) military developed personal capacities, including self discipline, resilience, adaptability, leadership, and critical thinking, functioned as transferable assets that supported academic persistence; and (c) additional contextual factors, including family support, life stage, socioeconomic background, and experiences of gender bias, further influenced participants' motivations and educational trajectories. The findings indicate that the academic success of post 9/11 female veterans results from the interaction of institutional supports and the personal competencies these women developed during their military service. Implications for practice include the intentional integration of veteran informed support models and the deliberate cultivation of adaptability, self discipline, and leadership skills.
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Details
- Title
- Female veterans succeeding in higher education
- Creators
- Scott Michael Burrow
- Contributors
- William F. Lynch (Advisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Drexel University
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
- Publisher
- Drexel University
- Number of pages
- vi, 210 pages
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- School of Education (1997-2026); Drexel University
- Other Identifier
- 991022184475504721