Abstract: The purpose of this study was to describe the essence of the acculturation experiences of post-9/11 student veterans as they navigated within the dominant higher education culture of civilian postsecondary educational institutions (PEIs). Specifically, this study aimed to conceptualize the acculturation experiences of post-9/11 student veterans by simultaneously identifying the components of their military cultural identity that they decided to maintain or abandon in PEI settings as well as which components of the dominant higher education culture that they decided to adopt or reject.