The Australian Centre for Student Equity and Success acknowledges Indigenous peoples across Australia as the Traditional Owners of the lands on which the nation’s campuses are situated. With a history spanning more than 60,000 years as the original educators, Indigenous peoples hold a unique place in our nation. We recognise the importance of their knowledge and culture, and reflect the principles of participation, equity, and cultural respect in our work. We pay our respects to Elders past, present, and future, and consider it an honour to learn from our Indigenous colleagues, partners, and friends.

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You are reading: Supporting Military Veterans in Australian Higher Education

Written by Lisa Andrewartha and Andrew Harvey (La Trobe University)

Published in Journal of Veterans Studies
21 February 2019

Abstract

Veterans often face difficulties during the transition from military to civilian life, with relatively high unemployment rates and mental health risks. Higher education represents an important pathway to navigate this transition successfully. Research from the United States shows that veterans bring unique strengths to the classroom, but also face specific challenges and barriers in accessing higher education. In Australia, military veterans have been largely invisible in the higher education sector. There is little national evidence on their access, success, and graduate outcomes. To begin to address this gap, we conducted a national survey of 240 student veterans who had enrolled in Australian higher education. In this article, we outline the barriers they faced in accessing and transitioning to higher education, and their subsequent experiences at university. We provide recommendations to help universities develop more effective programs and policies to promote the success of student veterans.

Read the full article here.

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