Is the Army College Fund Meeting its Objectives?

The Army College Fund is a program started in 1981 that offers post-service educational benefits to eligible recruits. It was hoped that the program would increase the quality of Army recruits by attracting more of the college-oriented. Using data from three Army sources, the author examines enrollment and financial participation in the program from 1981 to 1985. He finds that enrollment grew rapidly during that time and that the quality of Army recruits, as measured by Armed Forces Qualification Test scores, also dramatically increased. The program may turn out to be more expensive than anticipated, however, because the number of participating soldiers—those making the co-payments necessary to receive benefits later—has exceeded expectations.