Beyond Access: Toward a Predictive Support Model for Student Veterans in Higher Education

Abstract

Colleges and universities increasingly enroll military veterans whose transitions into higher education are complex and often poorly supported by systems designed for traditional-age students. While research has richly documented veterans’ lived experiences, far less attention has been given to early indicators that signal academic struggle or persistence. This conceptual article introduces the Veteran Predictive Support Model, a proactive framework that applies Schlossberg's Transition Theory to identify early risk markers among student veterans. Using secondary analysis of a 2024 qualitative dataset (n = 10), the article reframes situational overload, support misalignment, identity strain, and strategy exhaustion as predictive rather than retrospective transition themes. The article also proposes the creation of a Veteran Transition & Success Office, a centralized, academically integrated unit designed to coordinate advising, predictive analytics, and trauma-informed pedagogical practices. Implications for faculty, advising, disability services, and institutional policy are discussed, along with directions for future research.