Date

4-29-2026

Department

School of Education

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)

Chair

Jerry Vance Pickard

Keywords

military, transitions, civilian life, higher education, qualitative study, transcendental, lived experiences

Disciplines

Educational Administration and Supervision | Educational Leadership

Abstract

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the phenomenon of the lived experiences of U.S. veterans’ during their transition into civilian life across all military branches. The theory guiding this study was Schlossberg’s 4S theory on adult transitions, this theory identifies what factors influence how veterans adapt to their transition into civilian life. Data analysis was led from this central research question: “What are the lived experiences of veterans’ and their academic readiness during their transition into civilian life?” The methodology used was transcendental phenomenological approach to understand the lived experiences of 12 participants and how they adapt to their life change into civilian life. The phenomenon was not restricted by site, base, or branch. The data collection was derived from individual interviews, focus groups, and letter-writing prompts from each participant, concluding with a thematic analysis. The data analysis resulted four themes and two outliers: navigating uncertainty, support networks, institutional barriers, and intrinsic motivation and resilience. The two outliers were regret and grief. The study discovered that participants manage to adapt to their circumstances in various ways, some resulting in both poor and successful outcomes. The 4S theory illustrates a true reality to veterans lives and how time, individualized academic planning and preparation all play a key role in their transition into civilian life. The four theme results support some previous findings in similar fields, but the outliers discovered a gap for further research.

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