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Civilian Educational Assistance Programs Are Prevalent and a Large Investment in the United States

• Few companies, however, investigate the impacts of such programs.

Limited Evidence Exists on the Impact of Military Educational Assistance Programs

• The desired impacts of Department of Defense (DoD) educational assistance programs include improved recruitment, readiness, and retention and successful transition to civilian life.
• Some research suggests that the availability of military educational assistance attracts higher-quality recruits.
• Other research suggests that, while this is so, assistance recipients may leave service earlier than others.
• It is unclear whether the net result is positive or negative.

Federal Educational Assistance Programs Offer Service Members Multiple Pathways to Obtaining College Degrees

• Other potential outcomes include additional military training and occupational licenses and certificates.
• College credit can be obtained by taking standardized tests, utilizing programs that recommend college credit for military experience, and completing college courses.
• Ideally, educational assistance enhances the professional advancement of program participants.

Many of the Programs Overlap, Especially for Active-Duty Personnel

• Eligibility for DoD and Department of Veterans Affairs benefits is frequently linked to active duty status, resulting in fluctuating options for reserve component members.
• Not all combinations of assistance are helpful in the long run; for instance, some might tap into GI Bill benefits at a time when other funding sources are available, reducing the only funding that will still be available postservice.
• Service members must navigate disparate sources to gather information on the education benefits available to them at various times during their military careers.

The Department of Defense (DoD), the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Department of Education administer a variety of programs that provide educational assistance to military service members. These programs range from examinations that provide college credit for knowledge and experience gained in the military to various kinds of tuition assistance and student aid. The Department of Defense (DoD) Office of Military and Community and Family Policy asked RAND to review major, federal-level military educational assistance programs; develop a holistic system overview; identify program outcomes that program managers either currently measure or should be measuring; consider benchmarks of success to compare these programs against; and recommend ways to improve how educational benefits for military personnel are managed and used, thereby potentially improving cost efficiencies of programs. The authors reviewed publicly available program information and discussed specific characteristics with program managers, as well as reviewed the academic literature on both civilian and military education benefit programs to identify common characteristics, performance measures, and outcome measures. The research did not, however, extend to examining outcomes; the emphasis was on establishing a framework and baselines for further exploration. Among other observations, the authors did note significant overlap among programs and that individuals did not always pursue the most efficient pathways through the system for long-term benefit.

• Chapter One

  Introduction, Study Scope, and Methods

• Chapter Two

  Previous Research on Civilian and Military Educational Assistance

• Chapter Three

  Description of Programs' Design Features

• Chapter Four

  Program Eligibility and Usage

• Chapter Five

  Considerations for an Evaluation of Federal Education Assistance Programs for Service Members

• Chapter Six

  Summary of Findings and Recommendations