Continuing the Commitment Through Education
Wounded Warrior Project and Sentinels of Freedom to provide continuing education assistance for wounded veterans
Jacksonville, Fla. (March 19, 2015) – When injured service members return from the battlefield, they are faced with a multitude of decisions regarding their future. Whether it’s the decision to retire, enter the civilian workforce, or further their education, there is often a lack of direction or support for what comes next. For those who decide to pursue an advanced education, the road to a degree can be a complicated and often confusing one. It is with this path in mind that Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) operates its education initiatives.
As a part of WWP’s commitment to its mission: to honor and empower Wounded Warriors, the organization has teamed up with Sentinels of Freedom® to provide support for the continuing education of injured service members. Through a $2 million commitment over the next four years, this funding will help clear the existing obstacles facing these wounded veterans as they strive toward advanced degrees.
“Through our work with Sentinels of Freedom, eligible WWP injured service members will have access to additional benefits and support including: identification of veteran-‐friendly universities and degree programs, housing subsidies, employment mentoring and placement assistance, financial assistance for funding gaps due to delays in disability payments, and legal and budgeting advisement,” says Randy Plunkett, education initiatives director at WWP. “At WWP, we are constantly looking for opportunities to enrich the services we provide this generation of wounded veterans."
“In our 2014 Alumni Survey, over 65 percent of the respondents identified themselves as being in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree,” Plunkett says. “Through Sentinels of Freedom, WWP is now able to provide our warriors with an additional level of support that will further impact their success in reaching their education goals.”
The recipients of Sentinels of Freedom scholarships through WWP will be selected from graduates of WWP’s TRACK™ program, a 12-‐month program that gives injured service members a jump-‐start on meeting their educational goals, or referrals from WWP’s 19 other programs. Funding and support for these scholarships will be provided for the duration of each warrior's time in school.
About Sentinels of Freedom
Sentinels of Freedom ® is a national non-‐profit scholarship organization dedicated to assisting severely wounded veterans in their efforts to become productive and self-‐sufficient members of their communities as they transition back into civilian life and pursue their educational goals. For more info visit www.sentinelsoffreedom.org.
About Wounded Warrior Project
The mission of Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) is to honor and empower Wounded Warriors. WWP’s purpose is to raise awareness and to enlist the public’s aid for the needs of injured service members, to help injured servicemen and women aid and assist each other, and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet their needs. WWP is a national, nonpartisan organization headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. To get involved and learn more, visit woundedwarriorproject.org.