The Veterans Metrics Initiative: Linking Program Components to Post-Military Well-Being Study (TVMI Study) concluded in 2019, and researchers at the Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness at Penn State continued independent data collection with a sample of 3,516 veterans who volunteered for future survey efforts. The new research effort, known as the Veterans Engaging in Transition Studies (VETS), began in 2020 with a seventh wave of data collection (~4 years after military separation) in partnership with the Pew Student Loan Research Project. For Wave 7, the well-being survey used for TVMI was modified and new lines of survey questions were added that focused on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the scope and scale of veterans’ higher education experiences including debt obligations. 3,180 veterans completed the Wave 7 survey for a response rate of 90% .
In 2023, an eighth wave of data collection (~6 years after military separation) was conducted in partnership with Wounded Warrior Project, The Heinz Endowments, May & Stanley Smith Charitable Trust, and The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation. The survey was again modified to examine new topics including burn pit and other toxic exposure; perceptions of the U.S. military; perception of Veterans Affairs; social media usage; and civic engagement. 2,970 veterans completed the Wave 8 survey for a response rate of 85%.