Tuition Assistance Usage and First-term Military Retention 2002

Examining the effect of tuition assistance on the retention of first-time members of the Navy and Marine Corps Tuition assistance (TA) is a military-sponsored program that reimburses active-duty military members for the cost of college classes. This book examines TA and retention for first-term members of the Navy and Marine Corps. The authors found that TA does affect reenlistment, but negatively, a result at odds with previous studies. TA users are consistently less likely to remain in the military than nonusers when both are eligible for TA for equal periods of time. Despite these findings, the program may still serve as a substantial recruiting incentive. Tuition assistance (TA) is a military-sponsored program that reimburses military members for the cost of college classes while on active duty. The program is part of a series of quality-of-life efforts designed to make military service more attractive to youth and encourage them to remain in the military. This book examines TA and retention behavior for first-term members of the Navy and Marine Corps. The authors examine what types of sailors and marines use TA and whether TA users are more prone to reenlist than are military members who take no college classes during their first term in service. The authors found that TA does affect reenlistment, but does so negatively, a result that is at odds with previous studies. Using two analysis models, the authors show that TA users are consistently less likely to remain in the military than nonusers when both groups are eligible for TA for equal periods of time. However, these results do not mean that the program is not worthwhile. In fact, it may serve as a substantial recruiting incentive, even if an individual joins with no intention of remaining beyond the first term of service.