Impact of a Cohort Model on the American Veteran Transition to College

Veteran student populations are on the rise across the U.S. due to benefits from the revised Post 9/11 Government Issue (G.I.) Bill that guarantees financial assistance for housing and education for exiting service members. Institutions seeking integration practices for this student population may fail to acknowledge the multiple identities that veterans bring to the campus community and, thus, do not provide proper social support for this unique student population. The purpose of this case study was to examine how one veteran student cohort program provides support for veterans transitioning to their new student identity, and with retention and degree completion at one large California State University. This instrumental case study was conducted utilizing one-on-one in-depth interviews and archived document review to examine how effective the Veteran Education Program assists veteran students at Fresno State. The findings of this research show how students that partake in a veteran cohort program transition better into the broader campus community. As veterans begin transition into a new college student identity, pre-existing identities compete in the reprioritizing process.