Education Interrupted: Examining the Aspirations and Academic Trajectories of Military Spouse College Students

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 3:45 pm - Gold 1
  In Roundtable Session: Retention, Persistence, Outcomes

Abstract

Colleges and universities increasingly devote institutional resources to student veteran support, while military spouses who also face unique barriers to success remain largely invisible in policy and practice. This exclusion may have material consequences given that military spouses have high rates of higher education participation but relatively low degree attainment. Our foundational qualitative study examines the educational journeys, aspirations and challenges of 16 military spouse students (MSS), identifying how historic norms and practices in the military and the academy uniquely influence their success. In doing so, we bring visibility to the MSS experience, problematize massified approaches to “military student” success and envision a future where all students receive compassionate and culturally-responsive support.

Authors

• Carrie Carter, North Carolina State University

• Latosha R. Henderson, Temple University