This March we recognize the history and contributions women have made and we celebrate the legacy of women in the military. Women continue to make significant impact on our nation and advancement of our society. More women who have served in the military are enrolling in higher education to continue to enhance skills and training as part of their transitioning from soldier to civilian and from soldier to student. Research is being conducted on how to better support these transitions, however there is little research on best practices in supporting female student veterans.

What We Know About Women Student Veterans

We have learned some valuable information about placing support on campus for student veterans, providing quiet places for veterans and service members and having increased awareness of what it means to transition as a soldier to student. We are in the infancy stages of learning how to best support our student veterans and need increased awareness, resources, education, and research about how to support the unique needs of women student veterans.

Readjustment alone from civilian to soldier requires a great deal of adapting. The phase of transition from solider to civilian and solider to student is often experienced with confusion. A lack of resources and lack of understanding, if resources available are ineffective, can lead to feelings of hopelessness and inadequacy which can impact drop-out rate and successful transition.

Women student veterans currently account for about 31% of student veterans enrolled in higher education. They are typically over the age of 25, married, working, and parents. There can be challenges with unattended mental health needs, physical disabilities, financial challenges, lack of support, feelings of isolation, feeling disconnected, and unresolved traumatic experiences from military service. Women veterans face higher rates of homelessness, unemployment, underemployment, higher rates of divorce and single parenthood than male veterans. There are challenges with managing anxiety, depression, PTSD, risks of self-harm, brain injuries, neurological damage, physical disabilities, and challenges with defined purpose and established identity. Research has shown that these challenges can impact development, focus, attention, memory and may require more time to complete tasks and respond to increasing stimuli that can distract women student veterans experiencing hypervigilance, intrusive symptoms, and chronic pain while in the classroom.

Mental Health Services for Women Student Veterans

One of the greatest challenges that is often unaddressed for women student veterans is adequate mental health services and increased awareness of how unaddressed mental health challenges can impact the ability to function in many areas of life, including being a student. Women veterans often experience a culture of feeling invisible while serving, during military separation, and adjusting as a civilian. There are experiences of sexual harassment, sexual assault, and some report changes in behaviors and talk to adjust to a masculine culture during service. This can present a challenge among female service members providing support to each other and, in turn, can create a culture of competition among women.

What Higher Education Needs To Do

Institutions of higher education should better understand what women soldier to students need to be successful when transitioning from a structured uniform environment to a less structured environment that places emphasis on autonomy and unofficial ranking systems. It is possible that the lack of research on women student veterans underlines the invisibility they experienced in the military and as they attempt to transition from soldier to student and soldier to civilian. There are experiences of role strain with attempts to balance family, work, school, and transitioning into their communities. This can increase both mental health and physical challenges.

Institutions of higher education should offer:

• Transition services for women student veterans that include environments of trust and connectedness.
• Sustained and consistent support that includes mentoring, quiet spaces, women specific support groups, childcare, and veteran events on campus.
• Opportunities to align with local community agencies that provide career and academic counseling with financial advisement.

Faculty, students, and administrators could benefit from education and awareness of how to provide campus wide support for women student veterans to truly deem themselves as ‘veteran-friendly’ institutions. Student veterans have shared some of the harsh comments they received from their peers that has increased isolation, mental health symptoms, negative impacts on self-esteem and increased drop-out rates. Raising awareness for the good of the institution would provide multisystemic levels of support for student veterans, women student veterans, the student body, and the overall good of the institution.

As we celebrate Women’s History Month, let us not allow another month to pass by without careful thought and consideration about how we can provide more supportive learning environments for women student veterans. It is our duty to now serve our women who have served our nation.

Article Topics

Military Friendly Institutions Research on Student Veterans Serving Military in HigherEd Women Veterans Workplace Inclusion

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