2024 SVA Census Update
Annually, Student Veterans of America (SVA) conducts various research on the veteran and military-affiliated community to learn and understand how to best serve our communities. Included in this research is the SVA Census, which gathers academic and vocational information about current and former student veterans. This information helps SVA strategize and tailor its programming and prioritize its advocacy to better serve the needs of student veterans. The SVA Census not only benefits veterans; it also benefits their families, dependents, caregivers, and survivors. With this census, SVA expands on its information storehouse which other veteran groups and veteran serving organizations (VSOs), as well as the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, also utilize to understand the changing dynamics of the student veteran population.
The findings in 2024 showed consistencies in various demographic, academic, and occupational trends observed over the past several years. The largest group of student veterans falls between 25-35 years of age, with the median age of respondents seeking a bachelor’s degree being 28 years old. This figure has remained consistent for the past five years. Additionally, race/ethnicity, gender identification, and sexual orientation have shown no major changes within the past several years, showing an overrepresentation of Black and Brown student veterans when compared to their traditional student peers and a steady rise in women and nonbinary veterans. Regarding marital and family status, the survey noted a slight increase in the number of respondents identifying as married and as parents approaching 55 percent. The rate of single parents has remained consistent at about 20 percent.
In the area of academics, no major changes were observed last year, with the median GPA for student veterans staying at or above 3.5 on a 4.0 scale. Among these student veterans, three out of five are first-generation college students, consistent with survey findings from previous years. Although the GPA and percentage of first-generation students remained stable, the usage of the Post-9/11 GI Bill has been trending downward, while the use of Veterans Readiness and Employment (VR&E) benefits is on the rise.
Previous SVA research, including the annual SVA Census, has consistently found that veterans transitioning from military service to college often need to work to maintain financial stability while in school. Over half of the respondents reported that they currently work, with a majority working a single job for an average of 40 hours per week. Many of these jobs align more closely with their future careers than their military occupations, showing a slight trend away from the service and retail industries which had dominated the previous studies. Another almost 25 percent work part time while in school. When disaggregated by race and gender, the findings continue to show that women and people of color work disproportionately more hours while in school.
When asked about military service, on average, respondents reported that they served from about four to six years. However, a secondary group reported longer service periods of approximately 20 years. This year’s survey also showed an increase in the number of respondents with a 100% VA disability rating, a number that has continued to climb following passage of the PACT Act. On a related note, awareness and usage of campus disability services have been steadily climbing since SVA began asking about it in 2021 after implementing a program to support help-seeking behavior on campus, funded in part by Wounded Warrior Project. Finally, the SVA Census found participation in veteran service organizations (VSOs) outside of SVA chapters remains relatively low amongst student veterans.