Bridging the Gap: Faculty-Led Recognition of Prior Military Learning in Higher Education

Practices in higher education do not always translate the rigor and applied nature of military training into meaningful academic credit for prior learning (CPL). Drawing on a secondary analysis of qualitative interviews with 10 student veterans, the purpose of the current study was to examine where and why recognition gaps occur, connect those gaps to established adult-learning frameworks that explain veterans’ strengths and needs, and identify design-level implications for faculty practice and institutional processes to move beyond symbolic “veteran-friendly” efforts toward systematic, evidence-based recognition of prior learning. Major findings included three systemic challenges—undervaluation of military training and experience, cultural disconnects between veterans and their faculty members and peers, and the need for coordinated centralized support for veterans. The findings offer implications for instructional practice, institutional policy, higher education reform, and future research to serve veterans as adult learners.