Summary: GAO was requested to provide its opinion on alternative funding for a GI Bill. Three questions were addressed: (1) what the armed services would hope to accomplish by restoring a GI Bill; (2) where the quality youth are that the services believe they need; and (3) what Federal education programs are aiding these quality youth.
The common objective of several GI Bill proposals that were submitted by the Department of Education to Congress is to provide the armed services with an education assistance program that would prompt enlistments of more high-school graduates and other individuals who would score high on the armed services entrance exams. Statistics suggest that a large portion of the high-quality people that the armed services believe they need is enrolled or is projected to be enrolled in institutions of higher education. The Federal Government provides student financial aid through several programs administered by Education. The primary goal of these programs is the enhancement of postsecondary educational opportunities. The strategy for achieving this goal rests principally on the provision which provides financial assistance directly to students and indirectly through State agencies and educational institutions.
