A statewide survey of Vietnam theater veterans was conducted for two purposes. The first was to determine the extent to which they had used the GI Bill to achieve their higher education goals. The second purpose was to examine the relationship between specific demographic and war related variables and determine if they were associated with veterans usage of the GI Bill. The premise that these men and women had used their Chapter 34 entitlements to enhance their upward social and economic mobility was challenged in this study. Achievement of college educational goals were presumed to be influenced by the variables of gender, race, PTSD, and employment. / Sixty-eight percent of survey respondents reported that they had used the GI Bill at least once. A "college completion rate" of forty-seven percent for all veterans was established in this study. Significant associations with college underachievement were found to exist between the dependent variable of "college completion rate" and the independent variables of race, PTSD, and employment, but not for gender. / Males completed their college goals at a forty-six percent rate, while females completed at a fifty percent rate. White veterans achieved their college goals at a forty-nine percent rate, blacks completed at thirty-six percent, Hispanics at thirty-one percent, and "other" minorities (mainly American Indians) completed at twenty percent. As a group, minority Vietnam theater veterans achieved their college educational goals at a thirty-three percent rate. It was therefore concluded, that the Vietnam Era GI Bill was not an effective asset in assisting Vietnam theater veterans achieve upward economic and social mobility. / Replication of this study is recommended at the national level by an independent research organization and should include Vietnam Era veterans. Because of their very small numbers, a separate national study should focus on the experiences of female Vietnam theater veterans. The state of Florida should consider various methods to implement a "GI Bill" style educational program for these men and women. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 52-03, Section: A, page: 0818. / Major Professor: Louis W. Bender. / Thesis (Ed.D.)--The Florida State University, 1991.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_78440 |
| Contributors | Horan, John Michael., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 181 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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