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Author: Rizzo, Michael J.
Resulting in 2 citations.
1. Rizzo, Michael J.
'Combating' College Costs: An Analysis of Military Reenlistment Behavior and Educational Benefits
Presented: Baltimore, MD, Society of Labor Economists Seventh Annual Meeting, May 2002.
Also: http://client.norc.org/jole/SOLEweb/fullprog.htm
Cohort(s): NLSY79
Publisher: National Opinion Research Center - NORC
Keyword(s): Benefits; College Education; Higher Education; Military Personnel; Tuition

Bibliography Citation
Rizzo, Michael J. "'Combating' College Costs: An Analysis of Military Reenlistment Behavior and Educational Benefits." Presented: Baltimore, MD, Society of Labor Economists Seventh Annual Meeting, May 2002.
2. Rizzo, Michael J.
A Soldier's Choice among Job, College and Career: Do Educational Benefits Matter?
Presented: Baltimore, MD, Society of Labor Economists Seventh Annual Meeting, May 2002 (under revision)..
Also: http://theunbrokenwindow.com/writing/
Cohort(s): NLSY79
Publisher: National Opinion Research Center - NORC
Keyword(s): Benefits; College Education; Higher Education; Military Personnel; Tuition

As traditional federal higher education student grants (Pell) have failed to keep pace with dramatic university tuition hikes, veterans educational benefits have. In this paper, I estimate a random utility model and distinguish the impacts of personal and choice characteristics on the decision of soldiers to reenlist, attend college or assume a civilian job using the NLSY79 and post-secondary schooling data from IPEDS in an attempt to understand the impacts of these educational benefits and other factors on the decision. Restricting the impacts of several military and college specific variables to affect only those choices provides additional insight.

I find that receipt of special educational benefits increases the probability of choosing schooling by 8% and reenlisting by 6%. Soldiers that contribute to an education benefit program while enlisted are 6% more likely to attend college and 11% more likely to reenlist. Those residing in states with fewer two year colleges or those who have attended some college before enlisting are more likely to choose the college option. Average tuition in both their residing and neighboring states surprisingly do not affect this probability -- likely because educational benefits act as subsidies. College choice is more likely for young soldiers and less likely for those with less cognitive ability. I also find that the choice between schooling, work and reenlistment is made simultaneously, rather than sequentially. The results also provide some support for the increasing importance we observe of two year colleges in the educational mission of many states.

Bibliography Citation
Rizzo, Michael J. "A Soldier's Choice among Job, College and Career: Do Educational Benefits Matter?" Presented: Baltimore, MD, Society of Labor Economists Seventh Annual Meeting, May 2002 (under revision)..