An increasing number of students are selecting for-profit universities to pursue their education (Snyder, Tan & Hoffman, 2006). Despite this trend, little empirical research attention has focused on these institutions, and the literature that exists has been classified as rudimentary in nature (Tierney & Hentschke, 2007). The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors that differentiated students who persisted beyond the first session at a for-profit university. A mixed methods research design consisting of three strands was utilized. Utilizing the College Student Inventory, student’s self-reported perceptions of what their college experience would be like was collected during strand 1. The second strand of the study utilized a survey design focusing on the beliefs that guided participants’ decisions to attend college. Discriminant analysis was utilized to determine what factors differentiated students who persisted from those who did not. A purposeful sample and semi-structured interview guide was used during the third strand. Data from this strand were analyzed thematically. Students’ self-reported dropout proneness, predicted academic difficulty, attitudes toward educators, sense of financial security, verbal confidence, gender and number of hours worked while enrolled in school differentiated students who persisted in their studies from those who dropped out. Several themes emerged from the interview data collected. Participants noted that financial concerns, how they would balance the demands of college with the demands of their lives, and a lack of knowledge about how colleges operate were barriers to persistence faced by students. College staff and faculty support were reported to be the most significant supports reported by those interviewed. Implications for future research studies and practice are included in this study.

There is limited research on the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008, known as the 9/11 GI Bill, which provides educational benefits to veterans who have served in the United States military on active duty for 90 days. While outcomes for public and nonprofit universities are well known, less is known about whether proprietary universities are successful in recruitment and enrollment of veterans under the 9/11 GI Bill. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the experiences that veterans who were Post 9/11 Bill beneficiaries had with recruitment strategies and institutional public policy practices from for-profit institutions. Ten veterans who participated in this study received Post-9/11 GI Bill educational benefits and enrolled in a for-profit institution based in Florida. Data was collected using the transcripts of the responses from the face-to-face interviews. These data were inductively coded and analyzed using a modified Van Kaam analysis procedure. The findings indicated that for-profit institutions used excessive recruitment strategies and aggressive targeting to attract veterans who received Post-9/11 GI Bill educational benefits. The findings also suggested that for-profit universities appear to need institutional policy changes and programs to assist veterans in transitioning from academic to civilian life. Recommendations to Veterans' Affairs Offices, legislators, and leaders of proprietary institutions that support positive social change include mandatory reporting of federal funds, development of civilian transition programs, and adopting of key collaborations within departments. These recommendations may promote successful educational outcomes and sustainable employment for veterans.