Million Records Project

About the Million Records Project

SVA, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the National Student Clearinghouse, published the Million Records Project in 2014. The historic research initiative provided near real-time data that policymakers, service providers, institutions of higher learning, and the general public have used to support student veterans.

Findings included the rate at which student veterans complete college compared with traditional students; how long it takes them to complete higher education; the highest degree attained; and their degree fields.

Since its founding in 2008, Student Veterans of America (SVA) has advocated for the rights of veterans in higher education, played a central role in drafting the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and crafted legislation to secure in-state tuition for veterans nationwide. This advocacy has been rooted in the belief that investing in America’s veterans is smart for the country as a whole.

This ongoing effort to study the academic outcomes and progress of student veterans is the first of its kind and will enable service providers, policymakers, institutions of higher education, and government agencies to make data-driven decisions about how best to support veterans in higher education.

The Million Records Project is a public-private partnership led by SVA in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the National Student Clearinghouse. In 2013, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs provided a random sample of approximately 1 million student veteran records based on their initial use of the Montgomery and Post-9/11 GI bills from 2002 to 2010. The National Student Clearinghouse, which tracks graduation rates for 97 percent of all postsecondary students in the country, matched the VA data file with its DegreeTracker™ system. Information specific to the school and individuals was removed before it was provided to SVA. The Million Records Project is made possible through support from Google, The Kresge Foundation, and Lumina Foundation.