When the Army Post is the Campus: Understanding the Social and Academic Integration of Soldiers Attending College

In this study, the Tinto model of student integration is applied qualitatively to soldiers attending college. The authors found that soldiers commit to the military primarily and to college secondarily; therefore, military policies and relationships related to college offered a better understanding of college commitments than did college policies and relationships. For understanding the college integration of non-traditional students, like soldiers, this study highlights the importance of viewing higher education as part of a larger social system, rather than as a stand-along institution.