Does Free Community College Change Who Enlists in the Military? Qualitative and Quantitative Evidence from Tennessee Promise

with Michael Brown, Celeste Carruthers, Michael Kofoed, and Jenna Kramer — Under review

Abstract

Young adults in the United States face critical decisions after high school, often defined by employment, enrollment, or enlistment. Military service provides educational benefits, but the attractiveness of this pathway wanes with perceived college affordability. We use the roll out of tuition-free community college in Tennessee to study the effects of Promise scholarships on enlistment. We find a 28 percent decline in military enlistment driven by Army, Navy, and Coast Guard, and concentrated in low-income counties. In addition, the composition of successful enlistees shifted towards those with more mechanical and automotive aptitude.

Cite

@unpublished{phippsdoesfree,
  title   = {{Does Free Community College Change Who Enlists in the Military? Qualitative and Quantitative Evidence from Tennessee Promise}},
  author  = {Aaron Phipps and Michael Brown and Celeste Carruthers and Michael Kofoed and Jenna Kramer},
  note    = {Under review}
}