Women are the fastest growing population of veterans in the United States. When asked why they joined the military, women have overwhelming indicated they were seeking educational benefits; as such, the number of women veterans attending higher education has risen. While women veterans face many challenges, including physical and mental health challenges, at a greater proportion than male veterans, they also struggle when they return to the classroom. Previous research has shown that in higher education institutions, women student veterans often feel marginalized and invisible as a group and struggle with who they are due to identity dissonance. However, when transitioning into higher education, they tend to excel within their respective institutions. Though research has focused on the challenges women veterans face, few studies have sought to identify the attributes that help women student veterans succeed--more so than male veterans or their female non-veteran peers. In this study, the researcher conducted semi-structured interviews with five diverse women veterans who attended higher education institutions, creating an overarching narrative of their time in the military, their transitions to higher education, and their beliefs about their futures after graduation. Participants' stories identified the challenges, support strategies, and factors related to their military service and their successful college persistence and graduation. The findings from this research may help administrators better understand the needs of this growing population of women student veterans and the practical steps higher education institutions can take to assist in their success. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]