A Quantitative Analysis of the Relationship among Sources of Aid and Predictors of Student Veteran Graduation and Persistence

This study uses multinomial logistic regression models to identify significant predictors of graduation and persistence for veteran and military-aligned students (n=1141) at one veteran-friendly, not-for-profit institution.  Several statistically significant predictors of graduation and persistence for veteran and military-aligned students are unique when compared to the literature on the general student population, such as the positive effect of part time enrollment and the negative effect of continuous enrollment.  In addition, comparisons are made among subgroups of the students based on the source of their financial aid (government, institutional, no veteran or military aid).  Distinct policies designed to assist veteran and military-aligned students are suggested as well as individual policies to support subgroups of these students.  Unique institutional policies that may have a positive impact on the subgroups of students include encouragement for part time enrollment for veteran and military-aligned students who are not using government funded veteran and military aid and assistance with stop outs and returns for those using government funded veteran and military aid.  Federal policy implications such as the impact of the 36 month limit on Post-9/11 GI Bill funding are discussed. </p

Trends in Expenses and Revenues at Not-for-profit and For-profit Postsecondary Institutions: The Nondistribution Constraint and the Future of the Trust Market

In the United States, every child has the right to an education and is required by law to attend school. The government provides an enormous number of public schools throughout the country, free of charge, in order to ensure education for all, yet there are families who choose to homeschool their children instead. Hill (2010) explains that “homeschooling is not a new phenomenon. In colonial days families, including wealthy ones, educated their children at home, combining the efforts of parents, tutors, and older children” (p.1). He goes on to mention how colonial rural one-room schoolhouses provided a place for the children of several families to study together under the direction of a teacher who implemented their personal program of instruction

Pinnipeds and PTSD: An Analysis of a Human-Animal Interaction Case Study Program for a Veteran

The objective of this study was to examine the impact of a pinniped (grey and harbor seals) facilitated human-animal interaction pilot program on the self-reported PTSD-like symptoms of a veteran. This study analyzed preexisting, deidentified data that represented the participant’s scores on the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PCL-5). The PCL-5 was completed as part of a pilot program operated in partnership between the Veteran and Military Affiliated Research Center (VMARC) and a local aquarium. Scores on the PCL-5 were collected prior to (T1), midway (T2), and immediately after (T3) completion of the Project Seal to Heal program. Changes in the scores of each item were reported for the participant, for aggregated items that represented different clusters of PTSD symptoms, and for overall scores. Results revealed decreased scores in 11 of the 20 PTSD symptom-related items, improvement in the sum scores for each criteria symptom cluster, and a 15-point decrease in the overall PCL-5 score, indicating clinical significance. These results serve as a call to motivate future research investigating pinniped interactions with veterans who have PTSD in order to determine therapeutic clinical application and outcomes