# The Smart Act: Giving More Enlisted Soldiers Access to Advanced Education

This bill opens up the Naval Postgraduate School to more enlisted military members instead of keeping most spots reserved for officers. Right now, enlisted personnel—the regular soldiers, sailors, and airmen who make up about 82 percent of the military—can only attend this prestigious graduate school if there's leftover space after officers get their spots. The Smart Act changes this by guaranteeing that enlisted members get accepted at a fair rate that doesn't depend on how many officers apply. Think of it like changing a waiting list system to a more equal admissions process.

The reasoning behind this change is that the military invests much more money in educating officers than enlisted personnel, even though enlisted members vastly outnumber officers. Congress believes that giving more enlisted soldiers advanced degrees in fields like engineering, technology, and strategy will make the military stronger and more innovative. These educated enlisted personnel could become better leaders and help the military handle complex modern warfare challenges more effectively. It's also seen as a way to improve recruitment and retention—if soldiers know they can get advanced education and better career opportunities, more might want to join and stay in the military.

The bill also requires the Department of Defense to study what actually happens after this change. Six years after the law takes effect, military leadership has to report back to Congress on whether enrolling more enlisted members really does improve military effectiveness, help with recruitment and retention, and reduce misconduct. This is essentially a test run to see if investing in enlisted education pays off the way supporters believe it will.

Smart Act

Strengthening the Force and Fleet Through Enlisted Education Act or the Smart Act This bill removes the capacity limit for enlisted members of the Armed Forces to receive graduate-level instruction in a Naval Postgraduate School program. The Department of Defense must brief Congress on the effects of increasing enrollment of enlisted members at the school.