Conducted by the D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families, the evaluation highlights the value WSP brings to veterans throughout their transition from the military
WASHINGTON, D.C. — FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — National nonprofit Warrior-Scholar Project (WSP) was founded to ensure that every degree-seeking enlisted veteran and transitioning service member succeeds in their pursuit of higher education and beyond, and a recent study by Syracuse University’s D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) confirmed the organization is prospering in that mission. Thanks to generous funding provided by the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation, WSP retained the D’Aniello Institute for the two-year evaluation, which was completed in March 2022. As a result of the analysis, WSP is proud to say it offers the only program of its kind dedicated to veterans with a national reach providing targeted support for humanities and STEM degrees.
“The Foundation has been a strong supporter of Warrior-Scholar Project for four years, and believes strongly in the impact and uniqueness of their program,” said Mike Monroe, director of veterans’ initiatives at the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation. “CEO Ryan Pavel and his team have done a tremendous job growing the organization while maintaining high-quality programming and a laser focus on supporting their veteran scholars.”
The extensive evaluation included a comprehensive literature review that focused on student veteran research, program logic modeling of WSP academic boot camps, and a full analysis of the nonprofit’s annual alumni survey. Key findings include:
- No other program offers all that WSP provides to military veterans.
- Compared to WSP, no other veteran-specific programs have a national reach (in person or virtual) with curricula that covers both humanities and STEM subject areas.
- Qualitative data analysis revealed that WSP is contributing to academic success, increasing motivation for veteran students, and helping to bridge the gap between veterans and civilians.
- 92% of the survey population reported that WSP helped them be more successful academically.
- 73% of the survey population reported that WSP motivated them to apply to or attend a college they previously would not have considered.
“Syracuse University has long been a proud WSP campus partner, passionate about helping student veterans thrive in higher education. And now, the University’s D’Aniello Institute is thrilled to expand the partnership through this evaluation effort,” said Gilly Cantor, IVMF director of evaluation. “We’re pleased to have found that WSP’s programming is informed and grounded by the latest research, and their alumni data demonstrates success across their most important outcomes.”
The study further noted that “… at this time no other program offers all that WSP provides to its participants [with] components designed to improve social connection, relationships with faculty, knowledge of campus culture, and relationships with nonveteran students, which addresses many of the challenges identified in the literature for veterans as well as other nontraditional students in comparable groups.”
The IVMF delivers no-cost career training and entrepreneurship programs across the U.S. and globally to ease the transition after service back into communities for military, veterans and their families as well as prepare them for successful careers and business ownership. In its 10 years of operation, the IVMF has impacted more than 170,000 to date. In addition to supporting the D’Aniello Institute’s programmatic efforts, the IVMF also provides national impacting research, policy analysis and program evaluation, working with communities and nonprofits across the nation to enhance service delivery for 18 million veterans.
WSP launched its first program at Yale University in 2012 with nine participants. Since then, the program has expanded to 24 of America’s top schools and has helped more than 1,700 veterans through academic boot camps and workshops. The introductory academic experience has a lasting impact: 90% of WSP alumni have already completed or are on track to complete their undergraduate degrees, an increase of 18% over the national veteran average.
About Warrior-Scholar Project
Warrior-Scholar Project (WSP) empowers enlisted veterans and service members to excel at four-year universities. Through intensive and immersive one- to two-week academic boot camps, participants gain skills required for success and support for the cultural shift from the military to higher education at top-tier schools. Throughout WSP’s free resident education programs, students are traditionally housed on campus, and engage in challenging discussions with accomplished professors, receiving tailored instruction on key skills like analytical reading and college-level writing. Warrior-Scholar Project is a national nonprofit with programs at public and private colleges and universities across the country. For more information, visit www.warrior-scholar.org.
About the D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families
Syracuse University’s D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) is the first national institute in higher education singularly focused on advancing the lives of the nation’s military, veterans, and their families. Through its professional staff and experts, and with the support of founding partner JPMorgan Chase & Co. as well as U.S. Navy veteran, IVMF Advisory Board Co-Chair, University Life Trustee and Co-Founder & Chairman Emeritus of the Carlyle Group Daniel D’Aniello ’68, H’20 and his wife, Gayle, the IVMF delivers leading national programs in career and entrepreneurship education and training, while also conducting actionable research, policy analysis, and program evaluations. The D’Aniello Institute also supports veterans and their families, once they transition back into civilian life, as they navigate the maze of social services in their communities, enhancing access to this care working side-by-side with local providers across the country. The D’Aniello Institute is committed to advancing and empowering the post-service lives of those who have served in America’s armed forces and their families.
###