Overcoming Barriers to Persistence: A Single-Case Study of Student Veterans in Higher Education

The purpose of this intrinsic case study is to understand the lived experiences of student veterans as they overcome barriers to persistence at a small, faith-based institution of higher education in the South. The theory guiding this study is Pascarella’s student-faculty integration model, as it explains the relationship between the student veterans’ unique background characteristics and other educational experiences to the degree of integration with faculty on campus and, ultimately, their persistence in higher education. What are the experiences of student veterans as they overcome barriers to persistence in higher education? The setting for the study is a small, faith-based private university in the south. The sample will be 10-15 student veterans, either undergraduate or graduate, who currently attend the institution. Data will be collected using semi-structured interviews, observations, and document review. Interviews will be recorded and transcribed, and then coded. The codes will be combined into themes. Based on the themes that are uncovered, the researcher will take the concern to the respective university department for a response.